This is a great time to shift down a few gears and enjoy the somewhat slower pace of business life, right? Wrong!

August is the perfect time to take a long hard look at your business and spend some time doing the things that you may have been putting off because of work pressures.

For instance, summer is a fabulous time to give your web presence a health check. Chances are your business has moved along since you first launched your website and it may need a bit of a tune up to ensure it reflects current reality.

Is traffic really what you hoped it would be? Here's a summertime check list to make sure your website keeps doing its job.

The first thing to look at is whether it still reflects your current business and marketing plan, taking into account any new opportunities or fresh markets that may have opened up.

Changes and shifts in direction within the company need to be mirrored online. Such changes may include branding, which must be consistent.

Have your colours migrated or your logos been adapted? Get rid of legacy branding to keep your site looking sharp.

Policy also needs to be updated. Check policies are clearly stated to build trust with your site's users. Codes of ethics, customer service and privacy policies should be easy to find and understand.

Look closely at the added value your site offers visitors. Perhaps it is time to introduce affiliate opportunities, offer a white paper or highlight links to recommended sites. You should also consider a Bookmark Me or Recommend This Site function. Adding a simple script can assist in marketing the site virally.

Content is king so include a section that is updated regularly — possibly even daily. A blog or forum is one way to add fresh content that will keep visitors coming back.

If you do not have time to update your site daily, consider using a service like Adfero, a news wire service that will provide tailored news content daily.

This keeps your site current and, as part of the service, gets your content listed on Google News and similar sites to improve search engine optimisation.

The number of hits you receive through search engines can also be increased by ensuring your titles, headlines and meta tags are search engine friendly.

Phrasing matters, so call a spade a spade. How many people search for 'domestic maintenance services' when they need a house cleaner or 'software solutions for the finance industry' when all they want is banking software?

Use keywords within the body copy. Try to work them into the first part of sentences as far up the page as possible.

Remember that search engines cannot index you if they do not know you exist.

Make sure you have actually submitted your uniform resource locator (URL) to the various search engines. There are a couple free online services that will do this for you, but it is best to do each one individually if you can.

Keep the number of meta tags to approximately 15 to prevent search engines flagging your website as spam.

Provide a really simple syndication (RSS) feed link or an email subscription service to offer updated content, business updates and other news to people who wish to receive it.

If you do not have a site map, it may be time to create one. Maps ease navigation for the user and make your fresh, regularly updated content more accessible.

Creating a monthly feature such as a competition generates interest.

Ask a multiple choice question for a draw and post the name of the winner each month. It is easy to create polls, quizzes and surveys that make it fun to visit your site. You may even be able to use the data for public relations or on the blog.

If your site involves customer payments, ensure there is an easy and secure way for this to happen. Perhaps you should offer a shopping cart to accept credit card payments.

Finally, the phrase 'physician heal thyself' comes to mind. Just doing the research for this article has reminded me that I need to do some work on my own site!


>>Sherrilynne Starkie is the managing partner of Strive Public Relations, an Isle of Man communications consultancy.
She provides her views on business and technology each week in Tech Talk. Visit her business blog Strive Notes for frequent updates.
www.strivepr.com