In my last blog entry I made a point that apparently touched a few nerves. I stated:

 

“While it may not seem all that harmful on the surface, an out of date website can sometimes be almost more detrimental than having no website at all!”

 

Apparently that statement ruffled a few feathers with a couple folks out there that beg to differ with that statement. So I figured that I would take that opportunity to expand more upon my statement.

 

A while back I was asked to review a website for a friend. They were looking at possibly redesigning their site, but were hung up on the fact that it had worked for them for years. Did it really need to be redone they asked? After a few minutes of browsing through their site, I could pick out countless issues that served as exclamation points for why the site needed to be redone.

 

First, the overall appearance was very outdated. The site used a variety of Java applets/animations that were common on websites in the late 90’s or shortly thereafter. In addition, many of the graphics were of a much larger in size, but yet of lower quality than what is typically found online today. Lastly, when browsing some of the pages, they actually had ‘Last Updated’ dates included right on the pages. My jaw dropped when I saw dates that actually read 1997!

 

Switching perspectives a bit, I encouraged my friend to look at the website as if they were a customer coming to the site for information. Most novice Internet users would be able to see that the site was outdated. The fact that there were “Last Updated” dates over a decade old underscored that fact! A customer could very easily wonder if my friend’s company was still in business. In addition, a customer could end up wondering if they’ll receive quality service. Or, they may be left wondering if the lack of attention to detail that the website received will carry over into the services provided to them. First perceptions can often times be a lasting perception…

 

After a few weeks of talking about the website, my friend finally decided to go ahead with a redesign. It’s always tough saying goodbye to an old website, especially one that has served you well. But the technology available today is amazing and cutting edge. Websites can now be edited and updated within minutes from anywhere in the world, even by novice computer users. So rather than sitting on an old website that might be marginally working for you, now’s a great time to step up to the plate and look at launching a new website for your business or organization!