With 2016 quickly approaching, it’s time to set a few New Year’s resolutions. However, unlike previous years, it’s time to actually put your ideas and goals into action. From a business perspective, this can be a fresh start and a way to check off a few things that are on your to-do list.

Here are 7 ways to fine tune your website for 2016 in hopes of generating new business.

1. Optimized for Mobile

Is your website optimized for mobile? These days more people are using their smartphones or tablets to surf the web. This being said, your website should be properly optimized. This will ensure that visitors are able to navigate through your website easily. Google offers a great tool to analyze if your website is mobile-friendly or not.

2. PageSpeed Insights

Another thing to consider is how quickly your web pages take to load. If your site is slow you may notice a higher than normal bounce rate. This could be because people aren’t willing to wait around for your site to load. Google offers a tool called PageSpeed Insights which will rank your page speed (out of 100) on both mobile and desktop. You will also be given a list of suggestions to improve your page speed.

3. Add a Newsletter

Do you keep telling yourself that you’re going to put out a monthly/quarterly newsletter, but haven’t gotten around to it? 2016 is the time to implement this. Although it sounds like a tedious task, the hardest part is just getting started. A newsletter sign-up is the perfect lead generation machine. The list below should help with getting your newsletter started.

1. Sign-up for an email marketing service. We recommend MailChimp
2. Set-up a template
3. Import a list of contacts; for example, current or past customers
4. Create a newsletter sign-up form on your website. We recommend using SumoMe
5. Link your email sign-up form with your email marketing service
6. Create a newsletter schedule and stick to it!

4. Create White Paper/Guide

Like your newsletter, a white paper or guide is another great resource for collecting lead information. By creating free resources you are giving your business credibility and building trust. Again, it’s important to plan ahead. If you know that there is a specific topic you want to write about, write blog posts ahead of time to assist with the creation of your white paper or guide.

5. Blog More Regularly

You probably blog, but chances are that you aren’t consistent. It’s all about making time. Blogs are a great way to help improve your SEO which in turn will help get you found on search engines. The more content you put out, the more it will help increase your rank on Google. Plan weeks in advance so that you don’t find yourself scrambling to think of a topic. Also consider alternating blog writing amongst your team members.

6. Have a Stronger Presence on Social Media

Your website should include links to your social media channels. If you have social profiles that you don’t regularly update, it’s time to start. Scheduling social media can seem like a very time consuming task, however it doesn’t have to be. Sign-up for a tool like HootSuite, to help make the process easier. Put aside one-hour a week to schedule your social media for the following week. You will be surprised by how easy it is and how little time it takes.

6. Create a Content Calendar

A content calendar is the perfect way to keep track of your tasks and ensure that you are meeting deadlines. Put your content calendar in a place that is accessible by all team members (Dropbox, Google Drive).

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