How important is it to have an up-to-date website? I believe having a website that is out of date is inviting problems. Why? I think it goes back to three important reasons that a business-to-business company, a retailer or even a consumer products company should even have a website:
1) Provide current customers with key information about our products and services.
2) Offer prospective customers with helpful information to begin to build a relationship.
3) Give potential employees information about the company before they apply or interview for a position.
A website is available 24/7. It can provide contact information, communicate values, offer knowledge and instill confidence… But on the flip side, a bad website also communicates something. Missing pages. Typos. Non-loading photos. Inaccurate information. Outdated press releases. All this leads a potential customer or employee away from doing business with the company.
How up-to-date is your website?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Chris
I couldn’t agree more. I can’t begin to tell you how many small business or independent professional websites I’ve redone/redesigned where the owners hadn’t updated content, for instance, in months or years. What a mistake. At the very least, all small business owners should be able to manage their own content. There are enough solid, stable, easy-to-use content management systems available today that this shouldn’t be an issue.
And don’t get me started on design, coding and broken links.
Dawud:
I hear you!
Usually by a time a client calls us, it’s been years. They still expect those really high fees and “mysterious” coding to be the norm. Most clients are very pleasantly surprised, after their site is converted to dynamic content with CSS, how easy it is for them to keep their site up-to-date.
It also really helps them get back into the search engines.
I think the value of a website has grown expedientially while at the same time, the cost has gone down. It’s a great value now. And it’s tough to have a “real” business now without it!
Chris
Hey guys thanks for the info but I think you both should play some more football.
David:
Or what ever your real name is:
Obviously I’m not the Chris Brown who plays football or the Chris Brown who sings, dances & hits his girlfriend. Or any of the other Chris Browns.
Chris Brown