Really, a New Website in This Economy?
Yes, sorry, another article mentioning “this economy.” It’s hurting nearly everyone’s bottom line, but I still feel it’s a good time for you to stand back and take a hard look at your website.
With “this economy,” now is not the time to invest in a new or upgraded website, right? Especially not if your site is less than, say, 15 years old! Maybe you invested in a brand new site in 2001, so it should be fine as is for at least, oh, I don’t know, 20 years, maybe 30? Websites are just like bricks and mortar, aren’t they? Just build it and they will come (or something like that).
Of course, making regular updates to your website can be so outrageously expensive and complicated, that maybe it doesn’t happen very often. But that’s got to be good enough. Nobody reads that stuff anyway, right?
Perhaps your site is a true classic, built tough in the late ‘90s to stand the test of time for many years to come. Some of these venerable website seniors are not actually “websites” at all, but just one really, really long webpage (technique circa 1995-1999). That technique offers the dubious convenience of just having to scroll down to find information. It’s like printing a brochure on a nine foot length of cash register receipt paper.
Now let’s get real. Let’s say that everyone’s wary of spending frivolous (or really any) money right now. Perhaps sales have slowed and your business generally reflects the sad state of the economy. But, I ask, is all investment dead? In the past, has investment not occasionally paid off, at least a little here and there?
Websites aren’t like wine or cheese, they don’t improve with age and rest in cool dark places. A dusty old website offers little value to prospective or current customers, if they can even find it. And if, by some miracle, these folks do find your website, will they be misinformed about office hours, staff, addresses, services offered, and prices? If they can find it, will they be given the wrong impression of your business, get the wrong idea about your professionalism? Indeed, does your website embarrass you? Would you almost rather not have a site at all versus the one you actually have? Is your website 10 years old or older, is it infrequently updated, or is it one really long page? Can you even find it in Google or Bing or Yahoo, no matter what you type?
Have you ever wondered why or how some websites seem to always get to the top of search engine results when yours never makes it onto the first page (maybe not even the second, third, or fourth!)? The sites that succeed are current, often updated, and contain content and keywords relevant to the subject at hand. These successful sites are linked to from other websites (this is Google’s most important ranking factor, actually). Also, just as in day-to-day business, the niche is crucial. The niche makes each website/business stand uniquely on its own.
- What is your business niche? Do you have a niche? Is it obvious on your website?
- Who is your website for? Does your current site reach this audience?
- What is your goal for your website? Do you have a goal? Does your current site successfully reach towards this goal?
- Can you find your site in Google or other search engines? Are you searching on the same keywords your customers would use?
- Is your site accurate and up to date? How often does it get updated? Are there any regularly changing or new features on your website that would bring customers back?
- Compared to other websites you’ve seen, is your site attractive? Is it the right look for your business? Is it actually more likely to turn away customers?
- Was your website created way back in the 20th century? When was its last major update?
If you don’t feel you can satisfy those questions positively, then it’s urgently time for a new website, despite “this economy.” Here are a few relatively gentle steps you must be ready to take to begin the process again:
- Reinvest in your website.
- Define your realistic niche, audience, and website goal.
- Create fresh content that is relevant and reflective of the search terms your customers will use to find you.
- Update your website and add new content frequently, like every week.
Using a Content Management System, as we do when we create new sites for clients, you can maintain your website easily (with nothing more than a web browser) on your own, without the need to involve a web designer at every turn. You don’t even need to know any arcane programming languages, it’s all WYSIWYG. Indeed, a Content Manager can make the burden of maintaining a website a more enjoyable, far less difficult undertaking.
So, if your site is one of those sad sites described above, it’s time to look at new solutions.