Like many world-renowned giants, many of the largest corporations we see in 2016 had small, humble beginnings.
Today, you may see your business in a similar light, dreaming of a bigger tomorrow.
So, you try to go cheap on as many things as your can. Trying to take off with a free website that a friend or family member offered to make for you seems like a good deal at the time. Sadly, over the years, its effectiveness decreases. Yet if it started off free, why pay to update it?
Other businesses take another route by investing in a web developer with no definite prospects of revenue – expecting the website to do all the work for them. They spend years trying to climb out of the gaping hole in the finances that they used to pour into the project. Eventually, they can become thoroughly gun-shy at the idea of investing that much into something with little to no immediate turnover… again. With that, putting more money on the line to update every few years later is anything but appealing.
But the truth is, websites are much like cars and houses.
Buying a used car over 15 years old can seem like a financially smart decision until a year later when everything seems to go wrong with it. Furthermore, it is possible for just as much money to go into a used car as it is buying one new.
New homeowners romanticize the idea of the “fixer-upper” – hoping to turn a house just short of a shack into an aesthetic and DIY paradise. What they may not consider is the regret they may feel when they’re halfway through replacing the drywall and realize the plumbing is defective. Thousands of dollars that could have been put towards buying a fully functioning house are now down the drain. Literally.
Things that appear to be both cheap and functional do not always remain so for very long.
In a world full of technology where everything is constantly evolving, a website is not a one-time purchase. It is not a one-size-fits-all business solution.
If it is utilized correctly, your website is the proverbial driving force (car) and virtual domain (house) of your business.
Anything outdated, broken, or glitchy is going to interfere with user access because search engines (namely Google) only rank sites that are mobile-friendly, have high click rates, and are staying up-to-date. When even just a few links are broken, the site is not going anywhere but down. Even if only one tire is flat, a vehicle cannot drive effectively.
If the appearance and overall functionality is shabby, think of it as a house. If a home is heavily cluttered, outdated, and has broken furniture, no one really wants to come over. This too is how Google appears to profile certain domains.
An up-to-date and mobile-friendly site says, “I take my business and your customer satisfaction seriously.” If a potential client tries to find you on Google and your website is at the bottom the page and has not been touched in years, people may assume you are out of business, or do not want to be found! Upgrading a site increases SEO (search engine optimization), boosting the site to climb the ranks of its competitors.
Helpful Questions to Ask Yourself:
- “What are some of my favorite websites’ best qualities?”
- “When was the last time I updated my site?”
- “Is my color and texture scheme aesthetically pleasing (even if it is simple)?
- “Is the font I used unprofessional or just downright tacky?”
- “Are my background images or graphics distracting/overwhelming?”
- “Is my contact/pricing/location information up-to-date?”
There is nothing wrong with going simple. Just be sure that no crucial features are lost in doing so!
Do not let your website waste away in cyberspace as merely a digital business card. Step up and upgrade.
