When Is a Website Past Its Expiration Date?
I often come across websites that are obviously, embarassingly outdated. You'd think that such sites belong only to businesses and organizations so small or underfunded that they simply don't have the resources to update their site. But the cyberspace equivalent of an overgrown lawn with weeds happens to sites of businesses of all sizes. Yet, keeping a website fresh seems to be more a matter of priorities and planning than cost.
Nobody will advertise an event that took place last month, or products that have long been discontinued. Yet, the Internet is littered with such relics. Business owners who'll never allow chipped paint, dirty carpets and musty smells at their physical location nevertheless neglect their websites. They forget that in this day and age many of their clients will look at the website before they see the storefront. And you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Educating your clients about the importance of keeping their website current will help both their business and yours. When it comes to updating a website, the four areas of concern are:
- Outdated Content
- Outdated Style
- Outdated Functionality
- Outdated Coding
In the next few weeks I'll write separate posts detailing each and how to make sure your site or your client's site stays current.
I couldn't agree more. The problem is that sometimes, clients are not the best to judge what is out-dated, esp in style (although most of them think they are). I would occasionally have client saying that they are still very happy with the site, there is nothing wrong with it etc. AND, the worst part is that they think that we told them to update just because we want some money out of them!!