When does Summer come in December? Well, yes, in Australia, but around here, there's only one place you can find it. More on that in a minute.

What I found recently online was something that, unfortunately, I find far too often, especially on small business websites. Before I get to that, let me ask you a question. Maybe you have a website already. You planned it carefully, designed it with great care and detail, laying everything out perfectly with the exact combination of compelling graphics and persuasive copy that will draw your customers deeper into the site for more information. You are immensely satisfied with the final product, and have received positive reviews from your customers. Great!

Now for the question: When was the last time you updated it?

Since small businesses have an even harder time marketing (and a smaller budget to work with), the problem is all too common. The sad fact is that most companies put up a website, and then never think about it again. Either the cost for updating it is too prohibitive, or it's simply "out of sight, out of mind".

But that attitude can cost you customers. When a potential client visits your webpage, only to be greeted with an announcement of your Summer Sale - and it's a chilly December day - what do you think the message is? In addition to being annoyed at the summer sale items which are probably no longer valid in wintry December, it sends a clear message to your customers that you are careless, not consistent or reliable. It's ironic that the very reason many put up a website in the first place - to inform their customers on a timely basis - becomes static and stale, negating the original purpose completely!

As a small bsuiness owner, be honest with yourself about how much time you have to update your own site. If you are going to have a blog on your website, you should post on it at least once a month to keep the content relevant and fresh. You'll also need to keep an eye on pricelists, coupons or specials that may have an expiration date, and language that refers to a month, holiday or season that is not current.

If you cannot at the very least review your website on a monthly basis for changes, it's a good idea to contract with someone who can.

Aspire Marketing Partners offers both options to web design clients. The beauty of our platform is that with just a little training, you can update your own site, saving you money. Or, for those that find themselves too busy or would prefer someone else do the "heavy lifting", we can do that as well.

Does your web designer offer this flexibility?

We have all heard the adage that "less is more". It becomes clear when you see a beautiful woman with too much makeup, or another wearing what seems like every piece of jewelry she owns. How striking is a beautiful woman's face with bold red lips and the rest of her makeup kept simple? What a statement a piece of jewelry makes when it doesn't have to compete with an entire chest of rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches and more.

It is much the same with web design and print marketing materials. I have always tended toward a simple, cleaner design over cluttered and messy. While I agree that having a website is crucially important in today's business climate, it should not be used as a replacement for a sales staff, or at least someone in the company who will speak directly to clients and explain the benefits of your services. Therefore, your website should be kept simple too. There's no need to "give away the farm"; the idea is to just give people enough information that they are propelled to act, either by calling, emailing or visiting.

I had a customer once who wanted to throw everything possible on a website "just because he could". It was equivalent to a butcher shop handing his customers a schedule of his deliveries. His customers didn't care about that, they simply want fresh meat at a good price when they came into the store. Although to him, the delivery schedule was relevant, it had no relevance for his customers. I had to remind him often that less is indeed more, and that too much extraneous information, while seemingly helpful and relevant, actually distracts from the overall design of a website.

In fact, many people find a need to fill every conceivable space on their website or flyer with something ... anything ... just so there's no blanks. Just as people are uncomfortable with long pauses in telephone conversations, so do many find themselves uncomfortable with white space. Just one more link, they'll reason. Maybe I'll stick a photo or graphic in there. How about a paragraph telling them about my wife and kids?

More often than not, the result is less pleasing than if they simply left it alone and allowed the white space to exist, happily, on their design. What people don't take into account is that we need that white space to give our eyes a rest. Too many graphics, too many words, too much stuff turns an otherwise good site into a mess. People are far less likely to stay on a website they find cluttered, and even worse, they find them unprofessional and untrustworthy.

Now that's not the message you want to send to your clients, is it?

Give me a break, less is more or keep it simple, silly ... whichever adage you use, just remember to apply it to your company, from the logo to the website to the marketing materials and more. Simple is always best!