Why Update Your Website Before the New Year
Late fall and early winter are a good time to look at your website. Holiday rush is building or done, and you can make changes without the pressure of peak season. Starting the new year with an accurate, fast site pays off when people search for you in January and beyond.
What "Update" Can Mean
You don't have to rebuild everything. For many Rhode Island businesses, a few focused updates are enough.
Content Refresh your services, prices, and hours. Remove outdated promotions or events. Add a line about what you're offering in the new year. Correct any wrong phone numbers, addresses, or emails.
Photos and trust Swap in recent photos of your work, your team, or your location. Update any "about" or "my story" text so it still sounds like you. Small touches like this make the site feel current.
Technical Check that forms still work and that your site loads quickly on a phone. Fix broken links. If your host or designer sent security or plugin updates, get them done so the site stays stable.
Why Do It Now
January searches People search for services, restaurants, and local shops as soon as the new year starts. If your site still shows "Holiday 2024" or old hours, you look out of date. A quick pass in November or December avoids that.
Less pressure During busy seasons you're focused on customers, not the website. Using a quieter window to update content and fix issues is easier than scrambling in spring.
SEO and consistency Search engines favor sites that are maintained. Updating copy, fixing errors, and keeping dates and hours correct helps your site stay relevant in local results. Matching your website to your Google Business Profile (same hours, address, phone) also helps.
A Simple Checklist
- [ ] Hours and contact info correct everywhere
- [ ] Old events or promotions removed or dated
- [ ] At least one clear call-to-action (call, book, or contact)
- [ ] Mobile check: site readable and fast on a phone
- [ ] Forms tested (contact, quote, or booking)
- [ ] Google Business Profile matches your website
You don't need to do everything at once. Even a few updates before the new year put you ahead of businesses that leave last year's site untouched until spring.
Current pricing
| Feature | Starter | Plus | Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 75 dollars | 250 dollars | scoped |
| Pages | 1 page | Flexible pages and sections | Scoped pages and features |
| Contact | Tap to email (prefilled) | Form to your email | Advanced forms or embeds |
| SEO | SEO basics + sitemap.xml + robots.txt | Local SEO tuning for RI towns | Tailored SEO plan |
| Content help | Copywriting included | Copywriting included | Copywriting included |