Clik here to view.
When we suggest to potential clients that they update their website, you would think we were pleading special interest. In fact, there are a number of reasons, both good and bad (depending on your view of the world) why you should ask yourself whether your website needs updating:
Security
Sad to say, just having a web site or another web presence is no proof against hackers. I wish it was.
Customers ask us why this happens, often quite indignantly, as if the majority of hacking is personal. We have to let them know that they haven't been personally selected by some teenager lurking in a dark room, but that this is the result of professional organisations using massive computer power (not usually their own) to attempt to hack into hundreds of thousands, if not millions of websites daily. Basically, we remind them, it is the "machine what done it!" even if the organisation behind it is extremely unpleasant. If I was to use their language: "It's not personal...It's strictly business."
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Nevertheless, the whole business of web site hacking is upsetting to the site owner and probably involves three or four people in disentangling the problems it creates, not to mention the industry of security experts, programmers and anti-hackers trying to close stable doors after horses have bolted.
Content managed sites rely on scripts to access their web pages. So if you run an eCommerce site, have a blog, or a site that attracts customer comments with a forum, then the chances are you will have a site that leaves potential "holes" a hacker can exploit. They use these holes to access your site, steal sensitive data (scraping), to deface the site or as a launch point for spamming or to attack other sites around the world.
You will find that there are frequent security patches and updates released which you should install on your sites as and when they become available.
Software issues
The software that didn't have a bug has yet to be written. During a software's life, bugs are identified and fixed in the form of updates. At the time of writing, this blogging software is on version 3.5.12 and counting. It's still a good piece of software but it is constantly being improved. Even as I write, it reminds me it needs an update.
Design
Does your site still look fresh? Is the message you want to communicate modern and well-presented? Does it work well on mobile platforms?
The fact is that designs age. Just as you would not expect to see the same advertising hoarding or same magazine covers as you did two or three years ago. There are new features being developed all the time that could make your site better and give your site more impact. New fluid platforms mean that your site can look good no matter what device your visitor finds you on.
Content management
There is rarely an item written that couldn't do with improving and updating. Content written two or three years ago looks like what it is - well.... old content! An old site says to your readers that you have nothing new to say. Ask yourself a few questions:Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
- Does you organisation have something to say that's new and fresh?
- Have you developed new products and services?
- Do you have new people on board?
- Are you going to feature at any new events?
And, please don't use the excuse you don't have enough time. A modern CMS is easy to update with words and images.They can be used by anyone who can use a normal editor and with a minimal amount of training in the does and dont's of online content.
If you are doing so well, your days are filled with other things, pay a content manager to keep your content up to date.
Social media and marketing
Integrating your site with social media, getting your visitors to "like" you, "tweet" you or add you to their circles are all part of the new way of being found. It's no longer adequate to put your site up, link to a link farm and get yourselves in a few directories.
Despite its limitations as a search tool, social media creates a background noise that is impossible to ignore, and for some businesses a line to add extra customers and traffic.
Browsers
Browser creators can't even agree on standards themselves. Infamously Internet Explorer did not want to play ball with anyone for long periods of time. Website creators spend hours trying to ensure backward compatibility, so their sites can be read on any browser when, stragnely enough, the future is the exciting part. The advent of a vast array of mobile browsers on phones and mobile devices mean that it is important your site is up to date and lookd great no matter where it is viewded.
Benefit from changing internet standards
Though it seems to be taking an eternity, the development of liquid formats, mobile browsing and HTML5 and CSS3 are at last bringing some benefits. Far more features are available to web developers. It means the slow death of some favourites, such as Flash, but the rapid expansion of others. They will lead to wonderful displays on different platforms that will not just improve the way your website looks, butthe way it performas as well.
As mobile search becomes the most commonly used, so your investment will pay for itself time and again.
Improved speeds
With growing broadband and higher speed wireless networks, the consumer is benefiting from faster download times, and from more visual and video imagery. Even now, sites are rated on the speed at which they load content, so you have two reasons to update your site.
The first is giving your customer a better experience, the second is boosting your rankings with Google. Sounds like a double winner to us.
Maintenance
Do I need to say more? This is like asking if you check your vehicle tyre pressures and look at the oil every so often.
Do you back up your site regularly? Do you check each part is performing correctly with no errors? Do you check the site elements are up to date?
Read more