Unlike Fashion Trends, Websites Do Not “Come Back into Style”
Bell-bottom jeans, leisure suits, and broad-shouldered women’s suits might come back. Retro and vintage are all the rage right now. Reviving old styles is not a new thing in the fashion industry. When designers need inspiration, they stage comebacks from past trends and set the stage for people to follow.
While this practice is effective in the fashion industry, this is a terrible mistake for website developers.
Many businesses consider their websites a one-time project; once it’s up and running, they think they can leave it as is. The problem with this mindset is that, unlike fashion trends, an old website will never be under the spotlight again unless it receives updates.
The Illusion of ‘Once and Done’
Many business owners do not think of their website as an ongoing cost. They believe that after they launch it, they can set it aside and focus on other things. Owning a website is nice, but no one wants to look after it.
In reality, your website reflects your business’s values and goals. It is the front door of your company in the online world, and neglecting it implies you do not care for your business. Below are the consequences of disregarding your website:
Fewer Visitors
The main purpose of a business website is usually to capture online attention and generate sales. Unfortunately, old sites suffer from reduced traffic due to several reasons:
- Slow Loading – Outdated sites lag frequently because of poorly optimized scripts and outdated plugins. On average, 47% of visitors expect a site to load as fast as 2 seconds, 40% will disengage immediately if it takes longer than 3 seconds, and 39% will leave if image loading is sluggish.
- Poor Design – It only takes 2.6 seconds for a visitor to judge a site’s appearance, and 38% of users will not hesitate to leave if they are not impressed by the design.
- Mobile Incompatibility – Another vital aspect of a website is its compatibility with mobile devices. As of January 2024, nearly 60% of all web page views globally are made on mobile, and 57% of users will not recommend a site with poor mobile performance.
Loss of Credibility
Unmanaged websites with bad designs lose tremendous credibility because users perceive them as low-quality and unprofessional. According to 48% of users, web design plays a crucial role in determining the site’s credibility.
Lower Search Ranking
The visibility of a website relies on its quality, content, and user experience. Search engines rank sites according to these factors, and if they do not meet the criteria, they are sent to the back. Because stagnant sites contain irrelevant and outdated content, search engines like Google might push them down the search results.
The Importance of Website Maintenance
There are four main reasons why regular maintenance and updates are critical for your website: security, style, technology, and functionality.
Security Concerns
Outdated websites are the easiest targets of cyberattacks. Shockingly, only 6% of websites run on fully updated software, while 47% allow their entire library to go out of date. If your website runs on unsupported or old software and plugins, it is vulnerable to hacking, creating openings for data breaches and data theft.
Your outdated site might also lack an SSL certificate. SSL certificates authenticate the site’s identity and encrypt the connection. Without one, a message saying “not secure” is sent to the user, discouraging them from staying.
Staying in Style
Back when baggy clothes were all the rage, Flash sites also dominated the internet until both fell behind the times. Today, you may see the same baggy trend again, but those unresponsive Flash sites will remain forgotten.
Fashion trends come and go, and so do business websites. The main difference is that old couture can return to vogue, while outdated websites will remain obsolete unless they receive a makeover.
Modernistic sites that appeal to users and help build credibility prioritize clean aesthetic designs, quick loading times, and intuitive navigation. Users will spend 5.49 seconds inspecting the main page and an average of 5.59 seconds scrutinizing a site’s written content. Seventy-five percent (75%) of a website’s credibility hinges on its design, which means looks matter more than you think.
Technological Advancements
Websites must keep up with the rapidly developing technology to improve user experience and digital security. Users prefer websites that are up-to-date with trends, as it ensures a smooth and quick experience.
Plus, search engine algorithms are constantly changing their criteria for ranking websites in search engine results pages (SERPs). If you do not update your site to satisfy these ever-changing criteria, you won’t be visible enough to gain traffic.
There are 1.09 billion websites in 2024, but only 10 make it on the first page of search engine results. If you want to be among the 10 page-one listings, you’ll need a solid search engine optimization (SEO) campaign and assistance from a reliable web development company in New Jersey.
Opportunities to Do More
Your current website is a work in progress, not the final masterpiece. As technology advances, there are plenty of new features you can add to improve its functionality:
- Search Bar – lets users look for specific content quickly
- Navigation Bar – enables users to explore your site and find desired products or information
- Call-to-Action (CTA) – 70% of small businesses are missing CTAs that link to their homepage. Though simple, CTAs are paramount to converting customers.
- Internal Links – takes users to other parts of your sites, such as recent blog posts.
- Live Chat – allows users to communicate with visitors and access quality customer service.
How Web Development Agencies Can Help
Website development agencies enhance and support business sites through maintenance, design, and optimization services. Hiring a website development NJ company is essential for businesses that find it difficult to manage their websites. Working with one provides you with the following benefits:
- Better loading speeds
- Appealing web design
- Enhanced security and reliability
- Mobile compatibility
- Regulatory compliance
- Updated technologies and software
- Comprehensive support
- Improved SEO and SERP rankings
Give Your Website a Makeover with Landau Consulting
The fashion industry follows a “20-year rule,” wherein old fashion trends are picked up again after two decades. Unfortunately, no such rule exists for websites. An old website only has two options: revamp to become relevant again or be forgotten somewhere on the internet.
If you have an outdated website, it still has hopes of revival; all it needs is a makeover from professional web developers.
Talk to Landau Consulting at Web Services for quality and sustainable web development services.