5 Website Updates to Make in 2025

A new year is the perfect time to give your website the attention it deserves. Whether running a small business, nonprofit, or personal brand, your website is a key part of your success. But like anything in business, it needs regular upkeep to stay functional, secure, and effective.

To start 2025 on the right foot, here are five simple but impactful website updates to make now.

1. Check for Outdated Content and Broken Links

Your website reflects your business; visitors will notice if it’s full of outdated content, old promotions, or broken links. Start the year by reviewing key pages and ensuring everything is up-to-date.

What to Check:

• Homepage & About Page: Does your bio or business description still reflect what you do?
• Services or Pricing Pages: Are your offerings up to date? Have prices changed?
• Contact Page: Is your phone number, email, or address still accurate?
• Old Blog Posts & Resources: Are there articles with outdated advice or mentions of past years?
• Broken Links: Use a tool like Broken Link Check to scan for links that no longer work.

Quick Fix:

• Update any incorrect information.
• Refresh your most popular blog posts with updated details or insights.
• Remove or redirect pages that no longer serve a purpose.

This small step helps make sure your website has correct and updated information.

2. Improve Website Speed and Performance

No one likes a slow website. Studies show that visitors are likely to leave if a page takes more than a few seconds to load. Slow websites also rank lower on Google, meaning fewer people will find your site in search results.

How to Speed Things Up:

• Optimize Images: Large images slow down websites. Free plugins are available for this. If you are in one of my care plans, Smush Pro takes care of this.
• Hosting Performance: If your site loads slowly even after optimizations, consider upgrading to a better hosting plan.
• Limit Plugins: If you’re on WordPress, review your installed plugins and remove any that aren’t essential.
• Enable Caching: Tools like WP Rocket or Cloudflare can help your site load faster by storing static versions of pages. Again, care plan clients are provided with premium plugins.

Quick Fix:

• Test your site speed with Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
• Follow the recommendations for fixing any speed issues.

A fast website keeps visitors engaged and improves search rankings—both essential for growth in 2025.

3. Strengthen Security and Backups

Cybersecurity threats aren’t going away, and small businesses are often prime targets. If your website isn’t secure, you risk your business and visitors.

Security Essentials:

• Update Everything: Ensure your CMS (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.), plugins, and themes are up to date.
• Use Strong Passwords: A weak password is an invitation for hackers. Store secure credentials in a password manager like Dashlane or 1Password.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of protection to logins with 2FA via apps like Google Authenticator.
• Check Your SSL Certificate: If your site doesn’t have HTTPS in the address bar, get an SSL certificate ASAP. It’s essential for security and SEO.

Backup Plan:

• Set up automatic website backups. Services like UpdraftPlus (WordPress) or BackupBuddy offer easy backup solutions.
• Store backups in a secure, off-site location like Google Drive or Dropbox.
• Care plan clients need not worry! I’m backing up your website daily!

A secure website builds trust with visitors and prevents costly downtime.

4. Refresh Your SEO Strategy

Search engines update their algorithms regularly, so your SEO strategy should evolve too. If you haven’t reviewed your website’s SEO in a while, now’s the time.

Key SEO Updates:

• Update Page Titles & Descriptions: Ensure each page has a unique, keyword-rich title and meta description.
• Optimize for Local SEO: If you’re a local business, update your Google My Business listing.
• Improve Content Readability: Break up text with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs for better user experience.
• Internal Linking: Link between pages on your site to help users navigate and improve SEO rankings.
• Check for Duplicate Content: Use Siteliner to see if any of your pages have duplicate content that needs revision.

Quick Fix:

• Run a free audit with Google Search Console.
• Review and improve your top-ranking pages.

A strong SEO foundation will help you attract new visitors and grow your online presence in 2025.

5. Review Website Accessibility

Website accessibility ensures all users—including those with disabilities—can navigate and interact with your site. Making your website more accessible isn’t just good practice; it can improve SEO and expand your audience.

How to Improve Accessibility:

• Add Alt Text to Images: Descriptive alt text helps visually impaired users and improves SEO.
• Use Clear Fonts and Colors: Ensure text is easily read and has sufficient contrast.
• Enable Keyboard Navigation: Make sure users can navigate your site without a mouse.
• Include Captions on Videos: If you use video content, add captions to make them accessible.

Quick Fix:

• Run your site through Equalize Digital’s Accessibility Checker for an accessibility review.
• Implement basic fixes, like improving color contrast and adding alt text.

An accessible website is more inclusive and improves everyone’s overall user experience.

Bonus Tip: Schedule Regular Website Check-Ins

A website isn’t something you can set and forget. Set a reminder to review it every quarter—check for broken links, update content, and test site speed. This will help prevent small issues from becoming big problems.

Consider signing up for a website care plan if you’re too busy to manage it all. With regular updates, security checks, and performance monitoring, you can rest easy knowing your website is always in top shape.

Your Website Needs Regular Attention

Your website is one of your most valuable business tools, but it needs regular maintenance to stay secure, fast, and effective. By taking time now to update your content, speed, security, SEO, and accessibility, you’re setting yourself up for a successful 2025.

If you need help with website maintenance, redesigns, or SEO improvements, let’s chat! Keeping your website in top shape doesn’t have to be stressful—I’m here to help.