How often should you refresh your website? It is recommended that you reassess every 2-3 years, or a maximum of 5 years. Why? Because in terms of technology and advancements in web development, 3 years is a long time. The lifespan of a website can be longer if you utilise some flexible frameworks, and build in strategies for updating when you have your site designed.
Why update your website?
A lot can happen in 3 years - not only can your business evolve, but so can the technology that your site is using. Here are some of the main reasons why you should update your website with relative regularity.
1. Your business has evolved
Businesses can evolve, their customer-base can evolve, and branding or scope can evolve. Leaving your website looking old and tired when you really need it to evolve too is bad form in business. Your website is often the first impression people have of your company - so it's important to keep it fresh and relevant to where your business is at.
2. The technology is outdated
In the world of web development, technology cycles quickly. Plugins and coding can become outdated and stop working, and the technology may not keep up with advances in web browsers / mobile browsing. There's nothing worse than your site malfunctioning because the technology can't keep up.
There are lots of ways you can keep up with things - starting with good quality hosting. Remember to budget for a new website, or at least a refresh every 3-5 years.
3. Your site may not be keeping up with best practice
Google rolls out updates in its algorithms regularly, and to keep your site visible and relevant, you should keep an eye on your SERPs. Another important aspect of having a website is keeping it accessible to those with disabilities.
4. You may want to re-brand
It's good to get a brand facelift sometimes. Perhaps your brand kit, fonts and style isn't relevant or trendy enough. Or perhaps you just feel like a freshen up. There are plenty of ways to give your website a freshen up too - from colour and font changes, to applying tech 'make up' of sorts to update the look without spending too much time updating the back-end. Then there is a full custom re-design - which offers the most flexibility.
5. Your site may look dated
If your site looks dated, people may get the wrong idea about your company. You don't want people to make judgements based on an old and outdated website. The lifespan of a website can be given longevity by designing updatable features like headers, banners and multi-media segments.
