In the eyes of Google, old websites are good. They show that you’ve been around for a long time. There’s a catch, though. A website that isn’t regularly updated is bad on a lot of levels.
Security. A website left unattended is a magnet for hackers. If you have software or any sort of content management system on your website, odds are that security patches have been released. If your site isn’t updated, it’s vulnerable to things like malware, spyware, and even site hijacking.
One of our clients had an old website that had been hacked so many times that they were considering not having a site at all. Their url was repeatedly targeted. We had a new website built for them, then referred them to a security expert that locked their new site down tight. They’ve been with us for several years now with no further problems.
Maintenance. Almost all websites rely to some extent on plugins and services provided by third parties. Sometimes these companies stop updating their product – or they delete it all together. We routinely replace unmaintained plugins for our clients, meaning there is one less thing they have to worry about. One of the latest things we’re doing is removing all references and links to Google Plus, because – Google has taken it away.
SEO. The search engines are constantly moving the cheese, and there are little things a site needs to do to keep up.
Customers! Customers need to see the latest information on your website, not outdated prices, pictures of old products, and obsolete information. A site with old information or an outdated look gives the impression that your business doesn’t pay attention to details, or isn’t up with the times. And if your website isn’t easy to see and navigate on a mobile, your customers will surf elsewhere.
If you have a website that is an oldie, let us turn it into a goodie for you. We love taking your old website and making it fresh and new. We regularly see these websites bring new traffic to the website, and new customers to the business!