The Average Lifespan of a Website

Creating an awesome small business website takes both time and money. It’s an investment! Naturally, you want it to last a while and get a return on that investment. 

You can’t ignore a website and expect it to continue to live and thrive on its own. There’s the whole maintenance and security aspect of a website, but at some point in time, you’ll need to think about a complete website re-design. The question is when should that be? What is the average lifespan of a website? 

It Depends On … 

It depends on what industry you’re in. For example, studies have shown that constructions websites tend to have the longest longevity while websites in the food & drink industry need a re-design more often. What is the average? 2 years and 4 months. Are you surprised?

How do you know your site needs a redesign? 

Once your site reaches the end of its lifespan, it’s time for a re-design. Here are a few signs to watch for that will indicate it’s time for a redesign: 

• Competitors and Industry

Your competitors have websites and there’s a good chance that they’re making updates to their websites too. When was the last time that you checked out their sites? What are they doing that could inspire you to improve your site? Look beyond your immediate competitors and check out other industry websites. You don’t have to copy what they’re doing but look for inspiration and ideas. If you notice that their site is better than yours, chances are your potential customers will notice that too. 

• Growing Business

As your business grows, you can add to your website. But at some point, you’ll need to step back and look at the site from a broader perspective and decide if an overhaul is worthwhile to grow the site along with the business. 

• Improved Technologies

There was a time when it didn’t matter whether your site looked good on a phone or not. Now it means everything that your site is mobile responsive! Customers will close out of your site and Google will penalize you. If your site isn’t mobile responsive, it’s time for a redesign. New features, options, and technologies come along all the time. A website redesign can implement and take advantage of these new options. 

Extend the Lifespan of Your Website

Even if it’s been a while since your website was initially launched, you can slow down the aging process by following these tips:

• Adding and Subtracting

As changes come in your business or that of your competitors and in the industry as a whole, you may need to add or subtract content from your website. As you look through your website, is there some information that is missing? Is there information that is outdated? Take a look at both the copy and the pictures. It could be pretty embarrassing to have a customer find information that is no longer relevant on your website. Maintaining your website with new, fresh content also lets Google know your site is still active (which in turn is great for SEO). If your pictures are outdated, consider taking some new pictures. Maybe you have new employees or new products. Even if things haven’t changed much around the office, newer and better pictures could be what your website needs. 

• Focus on the Homepage

If you’re not quite ready for a complete redesign of your website, perhaps an update to the homepage is what you need. After all, it is the first page that your visitors will see and the one that creates that first impression. Add new photos, remove outdated ones and update the copy. Of course, you can only do so much as you’ll want this page to have a consistent look and feel as your other pages. 

• Add Some Video

If you don’t already have a video on your website, consider having a 60-second explainer video on your homepage or even a background video. Not only is effective in keeping people on your site, but it’s a great way to give a refreshing look to your homepage without having to do a full redesign. 

• Content Strategy

I believe that every website should be more than just information displayed in a pretty way. It should be designed with the customer journey in mind. If your site wasn’t designed with this strategy, then you should consider a redesign of the homepage where you can guide the customer through the journey with a goal in mind: a clear call to action. 

I’ve seen some pretty outdated websites over the years. There’s nothing quite as refreshing as seeing a website go from something antiquated and outdated to something beautiful and up to date. Your site doesn’t have to reach that point. Take a look at your site and apply these tips to keep your site fresh and relevant. If you would like an honest assessment of your site and whether or not a redesign is what you need, let me know. I’m happy to give you a no-obligation, honest opinion. 

Source: https://huemor.rocks/blog/website-lifespan/