In our current digital age, having a website is vital. However, for some, that might seem like enough.

Having a website that is outdated can be extremely damaging to your business. You not only risk hurting your reputation, but you also could be exposing yourself to security attacks and be gambling with your business' success.

 

Judging a website by its cover

Even though we aren't supposed to – people judge books by their cover, and customers judge websites by their look.

When landing on an old, obsolete-looking website, people can make snap judgments about your business. They might assume that business is slow or that you aren't in touch with current trends.

There is a higher value placed on companies with more modern, professional, and forward-moving websites. Having an older-looking website might make people assume you aren't as qualified, and they won't value your products or service as much.

In some cases, having an outdated website might work in favour of your competitors. If a potential customer isn't impressed by the state of your website, it will drive them back to their Google search, giving your competitors the opportunity to capture their attention.

 

Technical difficulties

Aside from the appearance of your website, not following up on updates can invite cyberattacks.

Many websites hold confidential customer information, like names, addresses, or even debit card numbers. If an attack were to happen, there could be serious legal implications on your end if it was proven that you had failed to maintain the site properly.

Content management systems like Umbraco or WordPress regularly release security updates to prevent such attacks from happening. You or your trusted web developer must stay on top of these updates.

Fixes to flawed code can also be included in the updates. If you are running outdated or unsupported software, it could crash and fail at any time. A crashed website will cost you sales and a considerable amount of money in repairs.

Not updating your website could also mean missing out on new features and faster running programmes.

If you continue to neglect your website updates, your system will eventually get old enough and stop being supported entirely.

 

Google ranking        

Whether you realise it or not, Google can either be your biggest fan or your biggest enemy. Google searches are how most people find a product or service, so you want to make sure your business appears at the top of the relevant searches.

With the billions of websites out on the web, Google has developed a ranking system to organise them by relevance.

Several factors go into how Google ranks your website, and one of them is how up-to-date your site is.

Google may penalise you for having a poor or out-of-date website. Not being secure or not being mobile-friendly can result in you receiving a low ranking on Google, which will again cost you sales.

An up-to-date website will be reward by Google, and you will receive a higher ranking.

 

Your customers

People go to Google to search for answers to solve their problems. Having a bad website will only create more problems for them.

Not being functional on mobile will not only be looked down upon by Google but also by buyers seeking solutions. On average, 50% of website traffic comes via mobile, and depending on your target audience's age range, that number could be higher. By not having a website that works on mobile, you miss out on a heap of sales opportunities.

Poorly maintained websites can even leave your customers feeling more confused than they were before. This could again lead them to your competitors.

 

Checklist

Does your website have any of the following? If so, it might be outdated:

Flash        Blinking, bright text        Auto-playing videos or music        Misaligned images        Inconsistent brand colours        Stock photos        Long paragraphs of text

No case studies/testimonials        Incorrect contact information        Incorrect staff information        Services or products no longer offered        Expired specials        Neglected blog section        Broken links        Pixelated images

 

An outdated website can make you look out of touch, can put your security at risk, lower your Google ranking, and confuse potential customers. Ultimately, it's your business that will truly suffer.

If you have an outdated website, get in touch with us.