By Dan Pecchia

The Testimonials page on the new Pecchia Communications website is more mobile-friendly than its predecessor.

There’s no magic length of time at which a website gets “too old.”

But there are factors that determine whether a site is as effective as it can be, and this is our take on the top five of those issues.

Does it emphasize your organization’s primary reason to be?

If you’ve changed focus since the site’s launch or most recent major update, your online home may be emphasizing what you used to be.

If you built your site back in the days when we all expected websites to be brochure-like collections of information, you may be missing an opportunity to differentiate your organization.

An effective site tells users right up front what makes this organization different. Some marketers call this a “position” and others call it a “unique selling proposition.” You need one of those for many reasons, and one is to make your website more visible to users looking for those strengths.

Does it have content that conveys your expertise and engages users?

The phrase “content is king” has become cliché but it’s still true. Prospective clients visiting your site (and those of your competitors) are looking for evidence that you can help them solve their problems.

They can find such evidence in these forms of quality content:

• Articles that convey how you solved problems for your clients, who are peers of your other clients and your prospects.
• Blogs that address questions your clients and prospects are asking.
• Testimonials in which clients (not you) say you’re good at what you do.
• Downloadable tools that enable your clients and prospects to work more effectively.

Such content is important not only to prospects reviewing your site but also to Google and other search engines indexing it with others in your space. In searches for particular keywords and phrases, search engines increasingly favor sites with fresh and heavy content with that language.

If your website is still basically a catalog of what you say you do, you’re missing opportunities to connect with those shopping your site.

Does it offer opportunities for interaction?

Beyond the ubiquitous Contact Us page, here are some other opportunities to engage visitors:

• Encourage them to sign up for future communication.
• Offer them an e-book, white paper or other valuable downloadable tool in exchange for providing their contact information.
• Add social buttons that make it easier for readers to share your content on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Is it mobile-friendly?

A site that presents well on phones and tablets is important not only to heavy users of those devices but to Google and other search engines.

Earlier this year, Google formally announced that mobile-friendliness would become a ranking signal (for searches conducted on mobile devices). You can read more about Google’s position here and use a free tool to see how Google rates the mobile-friendliness of your site.

Is it carefully edited?

Nothing drains credibility faster than poor writing and editing. A good editor will not only find and fix problems with a site but sharpen the writing so it’s easier to digest.

Dan Pecchia is an Ohio public relations consultant and president of Pecchia Communications.