I can guess the age of your Website!
Well, at least to within 1 or 2 years…. I have been looking at Websites now as part of my work for almost 20 years now and I have seen them evolve dramatically over that time. From basically pure text Websites with a few blurred images, through to all singing and all dancing sites with slick moving graphics and videos. Take a look at this screen shot of the BBC Website in the year 2000. Pretty basic I think you will agree but at the time it was actually quite advanced. The thing is that you don’t really notice the transition from one to another too much. There are gradual changes over the years and we quickly get used to the new version.
I am not entirely sure how I manage to guess the age of a Website when discussing a new Website project with a client, it’s a gut feeling based on Websites I have viewed over the years. However, there are a few pointers that indicate the age of a site.
What makes a Website look dated?
As I mentioned, this is hard to pin point but here are a few examples:
- Times New Roman font – It is still used but dates a site instantly in my opinion (this sentence is in that font)
- Borders around images – Many Web Development packages used to do this by default – Remove them if you have them!
- Small images that don’t go anywhere
- Text and images all in the same column and poorly aligned
- Narrow Website Width –In the past developers tried to make Websites that displayed on a small monitor. If you had a large monitor, you got a small narrow site in the middle of the screen.
- Fashions change too. Having a 3D effect site with lots of shadows was all the rage a few years ago but many sites are going back more towards a flatter design in appearance
- Not Mobile Friendly – Websites that do not respond to the size of the device being used to view it. No Website should be developed now that is not mobile friendly
There are many other factors, some of them are imperceptible, but that is the point I am trying to make here. One day you will look at your Website and say “Our Website looks dated now”. It is going to happen, trust me. The trick is to refresh your Website before you get to that point.
So, when is the right time to redesign?
I have been fortunate enough to work with well over 1,000 businesses in my career so far and I get to meet lots of business owners and gain an insight into how they operate. Unfortunately not all of them have the vision and foresight to keep on top of their Web presence. I am impressed by those who quickly do the maths and realise that by investing £1,000 in their site, the resulting improvement in search engine presence and appearance, can very quickly pay for itself.
For example, taking a Website as a 3 year investment only, how many more orders would you need, or how many holiday bookings would you need to take because of your new Website, in order to get your investment back. How many more enquiries does your building firm need from your site over a 3 year period in order to get that £1,000 back. So often our clients come back to us, delighted with the new business that they have gained, just because they had the foresight to redevelop at the right time.
Have a look at this email I received from Carol and Roger at Park Hall
“Hi Eddy
It is something over six months since our new site went live and over that time we have monitored the traffic via Google analytics. Throughout that time it has consistently achieved a significant increase over the previous year and on occasions has shown more than a ten fold increase in traffic.
Obviously there are many variables but the level of bookings achieved is clear evidence that the cost of the website was an excellent investment which has more than paid for itself in just six months.
We are most grateful for the hard work of all at Insynch and will have no hesitation in recommending you to anybody considering a new website.
Very best wishes
Roger & Carol Burgess
www.park-hall.co.uk“
The business owner who impresses me most
We have some clients who always seem to be “ahead of the game”. They are constantly refreshing their Websites to keep them up to date. They come to us asking for a total design refresh (not necessarily starting from scratch) every 3-4 years. When they ask us for that Website Design Refresh, their sites are not actually out of date and nor do they appear to be. They simply recognize that they need to change it before it becomes out of date.
Going back to the BBC Website again, you can safely assume that they are always looking to develop the next design. Even if they have only just launched one recently.
In summary, my advice to small business owners is to plan for a Website refresh at least every 5 years and preferably 3 or 4. Don’t leave it until your Website becomes embarrassingly bad or ineffective. In today’s internet world, a Website is one of your best marketing assets and can make or break a business.
Please contact me to have a chat about your Website, with absolutely no obligation.