What is the Shelf Life of a Company Website?

To put it bluntly: it depends!

For many companies their website acts as the face of the organisation, a perfectly built website full of relevant, up to date information for customers and the media. However other companies have let their websites slip, when they were first launched their websites were everything they could have wanted and more, but times have changed and so have needs and wants. Whilst this is the cheapest option it is a dangerous tactic as you run the risk of looking outdated and your website putting customers off rather than enticing them.

With increasing numbers of companies joining the market place in all sectors it is difficult to shine out through all the noise created by your competitors – what better way than with a well crafted and professional website? Don’t get left behind, guaranteed your competitors won’t be missing this trick…

Content itself is subject to change. Staff may get new Twitter accounts and phone numbers may change therefore it is essential to keep these details up to date. Also when consumers/ potential suppliers or the media access your website they are keen to see new content including client case studies and new pictures. One way to ensure an area of your website is constantly updated is to include a Twitterfeed, therefore every time you tweet it will appear on the site. By providing new content visitors to the site are more likely to come back to check for new information and see you as a credible source.

As well as the content the design of the website itself is important. As everyone knows fashions change and websites are the same. Depending on the design you choose it might quickly go out of fashion or it might remain timeless and just require little tweaks. Either way you will need to assess your website periodically and ask yourself if it is giving the best impression of your business that it can. Remember to keep your website integrated with other elements of your business and ensure that logos, fonts and pictures are used across all mediums. It is useful to build up good relationship with your website designer to create a design that you are happy with and that matches your business personality.

When it is so easy to keep websites up to date and designs fresh and professional, don’t let the face of the organisation slip. The cost to your reputation could be deadly.


Article Written by Carli Smith


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