Reminder! Have You Updated Your Copyright? 02.15.19

The beginning of the year is the usually the time when you’re reminded of all sort of things — from resolutions and life goals, to business trends and best practices. But one small detail, albeit an important one, often slips by unnoticed.

Yes, we’re talking about that tiny Copyright © notice at the bottom of your website. We’re already into the second month of the year and if you still haven’t updated the copyright year on your business website, you should go do it right now!

Here’s Why…

Updating your website’s copyright may not be a legal requirement and in most cases, you have, by default, the ownership rights to anything that appears on your site (if it is original). What is critical, however, is that it has a lot to do with visitor trust and brand image. Think for a moment, would you buy from a store that has expired products on its shelves?

While an outdated copyright notice may not be as big of an issue as selling an expired item, it sure creates the wrong impression. An unkempt or out-of-date website is likely to make visitors think the same about your products or services. Or, it can lead them to assume that you’re no longer in business.

What a Current Copyright Notice Tells Your Visitors

A current copyright year indicates that your website is up-to-date. Particularly, for websites that do not have dated content such as blogs or scheduled events, this may be the only way for someone to know that your business is alive and kicking. Maintaining a current copyright date gives visitors a sense that the content on your site is relevant to the current business landscape.

Besides this, an updated copyright notice affects your brand’s perception on many levels. When your website shows accurate and current information, people find it easier to trust you as a brand and gain the confidence to do business with you.  

If you’re prompt with updating your website with the latest info — which includes the copyright year — it shows your visitors that you are organized and care about your website. If you care about your website and image, you’ll care about your customers.  

How It's Done

The good news is that updating your copyright notice is easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. The process can even be automated using simple code so you don’t have to worry about updating it every year.

While you or whoever is tasked with managing your website, can certainly do it manually, this site called updateyourfooter.com gives you a ready-made code that you can simply copy and paste on your site. The code is available in both JavaScript and PHP versions, along with the required instructions to use it. You have the options of showing either both, the start year and the current year (e.g. © 2003-2019) or only the current year.

Even if an agency like New Angle or someone you know manages your website, it still doesn’t hurt to check for yourself that your copyright is up to date. We’re happy to help automate the process so that your copyright becomes something you don’t even think about.

Now that you’ve seen how simple it is to maintain a current copyright notice, you really have no reason to let your website suffer due to outdated info. Remember, it’s more than a way to ensure that your site’s content is protected — it’s about building trust among your visitors and encouraging them to re-visit your site again and again.