Is It Time to Upgrade Your Website?

It is critical to update your site on a frequent and regular basis.

The competition to get the most traffic on your site from potential clients doesn't end after your site has gone live. Because other sites are constantly being updated, and new sites are always entering the World Wide Web, it is critical to update your site on a frequent and regular basis. Somebody is always doing it bigger and better, and Internet users are always expecting more. It takes constant work to make sure potential clients choose your web site over a competitor's.

Don't let it look out-of-date.
Without frequent updates, your web site can quickly look out of date or even abandoned, reflecting poorly on your business. While we contend that it is neither possible nor necessary to follow every single new innovation, there are a few main trends with which web sites must keep up in order to gain heavy traffic. Invest in your web site and you will reap the rewards - increased traffic, more potential clients, greater revenues and ROI.

Help it adapt to trends and let it grow with your business.
When the web was first coming into popular use, many web sites were developed without anticipating the rapid changes in technology that we currently experience. Consequentially, the technologies employed were not always the best ones for the long-term and future. To ensure that your site can grow in the future and adapt to technology and user trends, it is critical to upgrade now rather than wait. Upgrades and updates must be a priority for web sites that want heavy traffic.

Are you due for an upgrade?
How can you tell if your site is due for an upgrade? Answer the questions below to get an indication. If you find that the answer to many of these questions is "yes," then its probably time for you to improve your site.

• Does your competition's web site have functionality and features that you don't have?
• Does the design of your site look dated compared to others?
• Does your site still feature old, out-of-date products?
• Does your site fail to show new product lines?
• Has your business model changed while your site content remains the same?
• Are users spending less time on your site than they used to?
• Are your visitors leaving after viewing only a few pages?
• Are you seeing less repeat traffic?
• Are you seeing a drop in leads, contacts or sales through your web site?

Make sure it's user-friendly.
Update your site and make sure it is user friendly. It must be easy to navigate so that new Internet users won't be intimidated, and seasoned Internet users will be able to find the information they want quickly. Your site must take into account the trends of users anticipating that navigation will be found in a certain place, that users will scan pages rather than read them in order to filter out advertising and other unnecessary info.

ALLIANCE is proud to offer expert help in this arena. Please visit www.ABCNMedia.com to get more details, or contact Creative Director Esther Szasz at eszasz@abcn.com to start improving your site today.