Let’s say you have a website that’s three or four years old. It’s still kinda fresh and up-to-date. There’s no reason to update it…right? WRONG.
Right now, a three or four year old website is out of date. If your site is older, it’s ancient. Here are some reasons you should update your site now:
1. Your site needs a content management system
You no longer have to call a designer to update your site. Your website no longer needs to be a static document that sits there getting old. You can update and add to it yourself.
Maybe you don’t want to be updating your site and think a CMS is something you don’t need. Once you have the power, you will be surprised how much you use it. Before the iPad came out all you heard was that nobody needs it. Now every company is out with their version of the iPad. I built my site in WordPress and I already had the ability to edit my site! It’s just easier.
I used to get estimates of $50K to 75K to program content management systems. Now they are free. I just want to share this with my clients.
2. You will get a bump in the search engine page ranking
Google keeps updating their search engine algorithm so an old site will not rank as high as an updated site using today’s standards. Also, if you are using an outdated trick for page ranking, Google my punish your site with a lower ranking.
3. There are features that you should add to your site
I just updated my website and built it in WordPress. I added an uploader for large files, an automated portfolio section, an integrated blog, social media buttons, custom fonts, and a contact form. These were simple to implement with WordPress plug-ins and add a ton of function to my site. Now my site is a tool for my business and not just a static marketing piece.
Gallery plug-ins, calendar plug-ins, form plug-ins, video hosting plug-ins, SEO plug-ins, membership login plug-ins, e-commerce plug-ins, and almost anything you can think of is available. You can set up an online store, re-create Facebook, re-create Craigslist, and other high-end goals without the need for heavy programming.
Maybe you don’t want any “bells and whistles.” You don’t know what’s available. New plug-ins are written every day. I can look at any business and suggest at least one new feature that will add to your website. Again, these are free! Your site becoming something that is used rather that just being looked at will increase traffic for your business.
4. Your site may not work on a mobile device
Everyone has a smart phone and/or a tablet these days. Your site my look crappy on them. If you’re using Flash, or your site won’t resize properly, your customers may just click over to your competition after trying to view your site on their mobile device. It’s pretty easy to create a mobile version of your site, but I’ll bet you don’t have one.
Smart phones are not going away. Your competition may be exploiting this fact and you are not.
5. Your site’s content may be out of date
You may have old, out-of-date content on your site. May you have an old employee listed, services no longer offered, or “© 2009” at the bottom of your site. Ok, maybe that calls for an update, but not a total overhaul, but when you have changes to make, it’s a good time to consider an overhaul. By the way, I use a simple Javascript to update the year automatically so visitors aren’t laughing at the age of my sites.
6. Visual standards change
I used to design sites to 800 X 600 pixels so they looked good on laptops at the time. That was the best practice then, but now those sites look small. Today we use techniques to use the whole screen. Also, monitor sizes that people buy today is different that what everyone was using years ago.
Sites today follow certain conventions in layout, wording, images, fonts, and many other elements. If you haven’t updated your site, it just looks old.
7. Updating your site is news
A new website is a good excuse to email your clients and remind them of your business. Maybe ask for their feedback on the layout, the features, and the functionality. Launching a “new” site shows your clients that you care about technology and keeping a level of professionalism. OK, so it’s not thrilling news, but clients will check it out for sure.
A site overhaul is an opportunity to give your marketing a shot in the arm. We try to keep our website fees affordable since we know clients will need to update even the best sites in a few years. It should be looked at as a necessary task and hopefully, not a chore.
