With new search engine algorithms (these are the realignments in the search engine code that Google, Bing etc make periodically to reestablish the new and 'correct' ordering of entries on search engine result pages) and policies introduced almost every other day, static websites don’t stand a chance against well maintained, continually upgraded websites.
Today’s web designing philosophy is no longer the “Set it and forget it” approach that website owners adopted just a few years ago. Evolutions in technology have sharply changed that paradigm, which means website owners must embrace change, nearly every week.
Search engines like Google make it extremely difficult for “stale” websites to compete for consumer eyeballs. Be that 'stale' in terms of design or 'stale' in terms of content or usability. Because online shoppers are constantly looking for fresh new sites, services and content, a less frequently maintained site design will cause search engines to lower their rankings for such sites.
So what’s the secret to ensuring your site always stays relevant to both search engines and the browsing public? Website maintenance is the answer!
Maintain It – And They Will Come
When you pass the shopping malls, don’t you get tired of seeing some shops with the same old layout, and the same old products on shelves, that you’ve been seeing for months on end? Your immediate instinct is to move on and pass it by. You’d rather shop at the place next-door, that has fresh products and constantly changes its décor and signs – it looks inviting.
Well, that’s exactly what happens to your online web store if you don’t take the time or trouble to maintain it. The good news is that, unlike a bricks and mortar store, website maintenance isn’t all that hard to put in place once you have a good web design company advising you - and, in most cases, it pays you huge dividends if done correctly.
Here are 4 great reasons why you should always maintain your website:
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1. Fresh Content Attracts: Just as happens with shoppers in a well kept bricks and mortar shop, fresh web content on a well maintained website draws in casual visitors. But it does more than that. It encourages Search engine algorithms, Spiders, Crawlers and BOTS (these are the search engine programs that scan the web for new websites and new web pages. They are frequently owned by big internet companies like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo etc ) to seek out your content and re-rank the site – potentially higher than its current ranking. Higher search engine rankings mean more sales calls. Research indicates that the average website searcher doesn’t go beyond page 2, before he or she gives up and buys from a site that they see listed on page 1 or 2. Freshly maintained content on your website will put your site at the top of a search engine's search result list, giving you a better chance of securing new business.
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2. Fresh Designs Invite: As with new content, a fresh web design also serves to invite casual passers-by, on the information highway, to stop and take a closer look at your site. Frequent web site maintenance assures more traffic to your site. Greater traffic is the single most effective way to increasing sales. More traffic means more opportunities to make your “sales pitch”. And the more often you make your sales pitch, the more you are likely to sell. That’s just the maths of it. More punters equals more sales – all other things being equal.
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3. Continuous Upgrades: Technology is constantly evolving, and we must all move with it if we manage and own a website. If you have a web site that’s using older technologies, chances are that your more forward-looking competitors will soon make your site irrelevant to your customers – They’ll shop elsewhere. Constant maintenance means your site will be faster, will have broader reach (with newer devices) and be simpler to navigate, thereby endearing it to visitors. There is also a security concern here. If you're not maintaining your website then it has a higher chance of being infected with a computer virus which will infect your website visitors PCs and your PC too.
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4. Cost-effective: A well maintained website is one that is continually upgraded with the latest plug-ins and add-ons. Constant improvements in web designing technology also make upgraded sites much simpler, easier and cost effective to maintain. They're also nicer to use and that goes for the huge array of devices that will be on your website. You need to know that every one of them are having a good user experience on your site and it's easy to buy from you or contact you on the website once they've found you and seen that you could be a trustworthy and cost-effective supplier for them.
Maintain Your Site Continuously – Or It Will Deteriorate
Just like any physical location – a store, a warehouse, a residence or an office building – it needs continuous maintenance in order to survive; so too does your website. “Build it and they will come” is no more! The longer your website remains “stale”, the greater the chances are that the few visitors that used to come will now just not show up any more. You could potentially lose customers whom you’ll likely never recover. And that's a sore one to accept. They are your customers – but only if you look after them – online and offline.
Lack of maintenance risks making your online presence part of history; which is not what you want so you need to actively do something about it.
If you want to stay relevant, you need to stay current; and the only way to do that is through routine maintenance of your website. Get website advice if you don't know what to do. Consulting with a professional web designer is the first step to drawing up the most suitable website maintenance plan – and putting it into effect. If you have any website maintenance questions we'd gladly answer them for you on 01-6216866 or info@myit.ie .
