We are often asked: “How long will my web site last?”
Well, web sites can last a long time of course, but your competitors and the industry you are in will have an influence on how long your site may appear relevant — or, for that matter, usable.
Think about a web site that was built five years ago….
Is Your Web Site Mobile Friendly?
If your website was last redesigned 5 years ago it probably wasn’t built with mobile access in mind. With ever increasing numbers of web users accessing web content using smartphones, if your site isn’t mobile ready (or responsive), then it is quite likely it may be unusable or at the last, very frustrating, to use by many people in your target audience. And if it is frustrating to use, people may move on to a competitor site to get the information and help they need.
Is Your Site Addressing Your Goals?
Quite obviously — I hope — if your site isn’t meeting your goals, it is time to revisit it. It may be possible that when you last redesigned your web site, your web design didn’t even ask you about goals. Perhaps the focus instead was on graphics, layout, how it looked — instead of focusing on the key item — what are the goals of your site? If you don’t know your goals, then you need to consider a web marketing strategy, where we develop a strategic plan that will ensure a site design that attains those goals.
True value in web design isn’t in the graphics, the visuals, the whiz-bang (in some cases, that could actually turn away prospects). A focus on goals will ensure the proper implementation of your site — and what features it needs, and what type of content it needs, and what type of marketing it will need.
Can You Manage Your Own Content?
Do you still call your webmaster to update your web site? You don’t have to. You might want to, but there are some good reasons for having a website that lets you do some of this work too. A quick update to your site, a new photo in your photo gallery, a new blog entry – all this can be done by non-technical people. All web sites we build today use a content management system. The most popular CMS is WordPress. Another popular one is Joomla. The CMS isn’t the first decision that you should make. They are tools, and we use the best tool to help you achieve your goals. With every project we undertake, we review the CMS options based on your goals, and help you choose the right platform.
Does Your Content Still Have Relevancy?
If you aren’t managing your own content, is quite likely that your content is stale. That means that it hasn’t changed in a long time. Search engines like new content (if you are interested in SEO). If you content is old, it is quite possible it doesn’t even align with your goals any more. And even worse, it may contain outdated, irrelevant, or inaccurate information.
So, if your content is old, or you don’t even know what content is on your site, touch base with us. We’ll will help you assess your content, and help you determine what changes you should make.