Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine April 2017 | Page 13

Reasons Your
Outdated Website
is Costing Money!
By: Candice Williams
taylordennis.com
Advancements
in
technology for web design
and development have
left many businesses in
desperate need of a website update. Your website
should be treated as an asset to your organization that
drives revenue and not a liability or expense. As web
technology changes so must your website. Here are 4
ways your outdated website is costing money:
1)
Losing business to competitors. Every survey
about websites always has the same result – users
prefer to do business with companies who have up-
to-date websites that work on mobile devices. The
tools users use and the technology that operates
them is always evolving. If your website does not meet
the technological demands of your consumers your
competitors will. Do visitors to your website have
to zoom in to read the content? If so your website
is years behind today’s available technology which
automatically adjusts to the user’s device.
2)
Wasting time and money using old methods
to maintain outdated websites. Updating an old
static HTML website is costly compared to new web
technology that allows your website to be dynamic
and easier to maintain. Work that would take days
or weeks of coding to complete and require coding
expertise now takes minutes. Websites built with
a Content Management Systems (CMS) such as
WordPress or Joomla allows you or a designated
member of your team to regularly update the website
without the costly assistance of a web developer.
3)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) penalties
from Google. Google is the number one search engine
in the world. It gives higher listing in search results
to websites that are mobile-friendly and current. No
matter how great your product or service is no one
will find it if Google does not list it in its search results.
Content needs to be fresh and relevant. Even if your
products or services do not change an easy way to
keep new content is with tips and tricks, blogs, guest
reviews, and press releases.
4) Security holes. Hackers are always finding
new ways to hack into websites and often find security
holes. An outdated website is vulnerable to hackers
because it’s an easy target running on old technology.
Hacked websites are penalized by Google in search
results. Additionally, browsers now warn users when
they are visiting a hacked or malicious website. Not
only are potentially new customers unable to find you
on Google but your returning customers who type
in your address will leave and are unlikely come back
when they see your site has been hacked.
If your website is outdated a redesign is critical to the
sustainment and growth of your business. Gone are
the days where customers opened the static pages of
a phone book and flipped pages looking for a business.
Today customers use search engines and expect to
find what they are looking for in seconds. The first
interaction a potential customer has with your business
is your website. Ensure that the experience meets the
expectations of the modern consumer otherwise both
Google and the customer will penalize you.
MOMENTUM / April 2017
13