What can go wrong if you never update an old website?
A website is an online branch of your business that helps it succeed. Because it shows customers everything you want them to know, it keeps your business and your customers connected.
As your business grows year after year, you build up more and more information, and to keep that information safe and current your website needs regular updates. Putting a website online once and then using it for years without updating the design or content is a serious mistake, because an outdated website can cause problems that hurt your business.
1. Your website can get hacked
When a website isn’t maintained, nobody notices that new software updates are available, and that leaves it open to hackers. Whatever kind of business you run, a hacked website can do real damage: data on the site can be stolen or destroyed, visitors can be redirected to other websites, and the SEO work you have done can suffer. Regular updates are essential to keep your website secure.
2. Repairs cost more later
The longer you put off updates, the more your website deteriorates. When you finally hand it back to a developer, the repairs take much longer and cost you more time and money.
3. You miss out on new versions
If you don’t update, you don’t get the benefit of new versions, however many come out. Just as you keep your phone updated, you should keep your website’s plugins on their latest versions for website security.
4. Your website gets slower
Without regular updates, a website’s performance slows down, and visitors get frustrated and bored. If you were the customer, how long would you wait for a slow website to load?
5. Customers lose trust
If you never add new information about your business or refresh the design, visitors will see you as out of date and trust you less. Outdated information on your website loses you customers.
Common problems with websites in Myanmar
Many people think a website is finished once it has been built. As a result, many websites in Myanmar:
- don’t use technology that works well on mobiles and tablets
- contain outdated information
- are slow and heavy
Today, no business can afford to ignore the internet, and it is good that more businesses now have websites. But many people still don’t know what needs to happen after a website goes live. If you are planning to update yours, make sure you cover the following:
- Replace old content with up-to-date images and text that suit your business today and interest your customers.
- Check that the site uses current technology and works well on phones, computers and tablets.
- Move away from an old-fashioned design to a fresh, modern one.
- Upgrade with search engines in mind, so your SEO isn’t harmed.
- Unless you are starting a new company, keep the same domain and page addresses, so links to your website from other sites don’t break.
There are other things to watch out for as well. If you are planning to upgrade your business website, talk to us at MWD and we’ll help you upgrade it properly.