Refresh

Refresh~

A transitive verb that means:

• reinvigorate

• revitalize

• revive

• restore

• brace

• fortify

• strengthen

• enliven

• perk up

• stimulate

• freshen

• energize

• exhilarate

• reanimate

• wake up

• resuscitate

• revivify

• rejuvenate

• regenerate

• renew

• breathe new life into

• blow away the cobwebs

• buck up

• pep up

• give new strength or energy

Ready for a Refresh?

Outdoors, spring is busy reminding us there’s an abundance of growth all around. There’s also plenty of old brush to clear away before we can admire the new coming through. It just makes sense — clearing out the old and making way for the new with your website, branding, newsletters and other communications tools will help others notice you and be attracted to your business.

One of my partners, Tina Anderson, a marketing and special events maven extraordinaire, recently refreshed branding and content for Buffalo Kid Entrepreneurs, an organization that helps young people sell products, network, and grow their businesses with local community resources.

“I did a total refresh including creating a new logo, and developing a brand kit that better aligns with the audience,” says Anderson, who volunteers her expertise to spearhead the organization’s mentoring and marketing. We’re already seeing a significant rise in sponsorships and support after the first email campaign. Investing the time and effort in a refresh has proved extremely worthwhile and I feel more confident moving into our busy season.” 

The Play-Doh Story

Here’s a great example of a product refresh that turned a flailing company into a business success. Remember Play-Doh, the colorful, reusable modeling dough with a salty smell that’s so distinctive Hasbro had it trademarked? The claylike compound made from water, salt and flour, was developed in the late 1920’s as a wallpaper cleaner, but by the early 1950s, most homeowners had converted from coal-based furnaces to oil and gas, and removing sooty residues from wallpaper was no longer required. 

With a creative refresh, the company reformulated their product, adding bright colors to the clay and marketing it as an educational toy to schools instead of hardware stores. When they brought a celebrity on board - Captain Kangaroo - sales skyrocketed.

Why Refresh Your Website?

Websites are not meant to stay the same forever, no matter how well designed. Your website is the face of your business and can help create long-lasting relationships. Without content updates, websites run the risk of appearing stale to customers who may look for alternatives who have a fresher online persona. In a competitive landscape, it makes sense that marketing experts recommend updating websites every three years.

Refreshed Website Benefits include:

Telling your Story Better

Stories are memorable. In fact, stories are 22 times more memorable than hearing or reading a fact. When website visitors connect with your story, you’re more likely to stick in their memory and they’ll be more likely to think of you first when looking for the services or products you offer.

Modernized and Revitalized Branding

Staying fresh and relevant with website content strengthens your brand positioning and key messaging. Visuals are important too! Refreshing logos, color palettes, typography, and design elements according to market trends keeps you relevant and appealing.

Retain Customer Loyalty

Refreshing your website demonstrates a commitment to maintaining high standards, and shows you are interested in taking good care of customers by providing them with compelling content and clear access to information they need. 

Attract New Customers

Website refreshers provide an opportunity to strategically attract new business. New and potential customers’ online habits change frequently. Your website should show up when consumers ask google simple questions about services or products you offer. Refreshing online content with relevant terms and keywords makes that happen.

Differentiate Yourself from Competitors

You’re busy running your business, so it’s easy to forget to update features that make you stand out in an overcrowded market. What makes you best at what you do? Whether it’s technology, customer service, pricing, or company culture, including customer-focused touch points on your website puts you in the lead.

Improve User Experience

Is your content relevant and easy to understand? Do you have calls to action and links for visitors to explore other pages on your site? Regularly refreshing your website’s content is crucial to maintaining accuracy and providing a great user experience. In addition to keeping visitors engaged, an up-to-date website also improves your search engine rankings (SEO), leading to more web traffic.

Stay Memorable

Investing the time and resources to refresh what you present to the world keeps your business invigorated, fresh and energized. When you capture the attention of existing and potential customers with compelling content, you enhance your value. A professional website refresh gives customers insights about your level of services and is an effective growth tool for your business.

The Opposite of Refresh is Weary

Don’t be weary, be refreshed!

“Elwin” by David Corbett @ elwincartoons on Instagram