Every year we make resolutions to improve ourselves, but what about improving our businesses?

With the Internet becoming increasingly important for businesses in all industries, it’s important to take a look at your company site and make sure it’s up to scratch.

• Make sure it’s mobile friendly

The number of people who use their phones to go online is staggering, and it’s a number that’s only going to grow, so the longer a business goes without a mobile-friendly website, the more customers it’s going to miss out on.

Haptic Generation found that 89% of Australians own a smartphone and, according to the ACMA, 21% of Australians rely solely on their phone for internet use. These facts, coupled with Hunter Research Foundation’s findings that only 42% of local businesses have a mobile responsive website, show how far behind a lot of local businesses are.

Add to this Google’s announcement in April 2015 that it would rank mobile-friendly sites higher in search results, and it’s clear that modern businesses need a modern website.

You can use this tool to see if Google thinks your website is mobile-friendly.

• Modernise your design

First impressions mean a lot, and if your site looks like it was set up five or more years ago, there’s a good chance you’ll turn away potential customers. While you’re thinking about making it mobile-friendly, it’s a good idea to consider revamping your whole site.

While it’s possible to get a costly, bespoke design, there are also ways to update the look of your site with templates without breaking into your budget too much.

• Make the most of content marketing

Once you’ve got the appearance of your website up to scratch, it’s time to look at what’s on your site.

Content marketing – the practise of publishing your own content to attract customers to your site – has been growing in popularity recently, and the longer you take to get on board the further ahead your competitors will be.

The most common way to start your content marketing journey is by starting a company blog. With regular posts, you can improve your search rankings, build your brand and improve your relationship with customers.

• Checking the basics

While you may need help with the other suggestions in this article, checking that your site is accurate and up-to-date is something we can all do.

The most important thing is to make sure that your contact details are correct. Once you’ve checked that (and that any contact forms are getting through to your e-mail address), make sure the products and services on your website match what you offer in real life ‚Äì if they don’t, update the text or add/delete pages as necessary.

You should also check that all your links work, that there are no spelling mistakes in your text and that your site loads well in all the popular browsers.

Too often websites are thought of as a burden or an unwanted expense, but with the right care and attention they can help drive extra customers and show off your business in its best light.