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Sep 07 2023

How to Bring Your Dated Website Back From the Dead

Has your website become… the undead? A zombie? Is there forgotten content lurking in some distant dark corner, covered in sticky cobwebs? 

Welcome to the land of “zombie websites” – websites plagued by outdated, lackluster content that drains the vitality from your business’ online presence. Oh no!

Your website serves as the face of your business, often helping potential customers form their first impressions. But, the face of your business could just as easily scare them away! 

Symptoms of a Zombie Website

Gif of Buffy The Vampire Slayer cocking a shot gun.

Fortunately for you, brave zombie-hunter, zombie websites are easy to spot. They exhibit symptoms like: high bounce rates (ooo!), dwindling traffic (ahh!), and low engagement (oww!). 

Imagine this: You enter a grocery store with dusty shelves and expired products. You’d turn around and leave without a second thought, wouldn’t you? This is exactly how visitors feel when they stumble upon your zombie website. 

Customers want a brand that is posting fresh content that looks towards the future. They trust a brand that demonstrates it’s here for the long haul, and is on the hunt for innovative new ideas! An outdated website not only repels potential customers but also stains your brand’s credibility. 

How to Revive Your Zombie Website 

Want to bring your website back into the land of the living? Well, then it’s time to clear away those cobwebs and perform some CPR on your content:

  1. Search for Inspiration: To inspire your efforts, take a look at before-and-after examples of websites that transformed from lifeless to lively. 
  2. Content Audit: Track down the areas of your website that need some life breathed into them. Identify outdated blog posts, old product or service descriptions, and irrelevant pages.
  3. Refresh & Rewrite: Update your website’s content with the latest information and bring it into the modern era, while being careful to maintain your brand voice.
  4. Optimize for SEO: Incorporate relevant keywords and meta descriptions to enhance search engine visibility. Fresh content is the Google algorithm’s favorite snack!
  5. Enhance User Experience: Improve readability by using shorter paragraphs, clear headers, and opting for engaging images and videos. 

Measure the Success of Your Revived Website

How do you know if your efforts have paid off? Here are a few stats to keep an eye on:

  • Organic Traffic: An increase in organic traffic shows your fresh content and SEO optimization is working.
  • Bounce Rate: A decreased bounce rate indicates that visitors are engaging more with your content.
  • Conversion Rate: Improved content often leads to higher conversion rates.

Consistency is key to your website’s success. Don’t stop here, either: you’ll want to regularly update your content to prevent a zombie website relapse. Remember, your website is your business’ digital identity. Don’t be an unhelpful bystander and doom your website to a zombie half-life. Be the hero who resurrects it from the dead!

Does reviving your zombie website feel like too much to stomach? That’s okay! Our Upswept Team of expert zombie-hunters is here to save the day. We’ve got an arsenal full of tools that are sure to bring your website back stronger than ever.