"Last updated, February 23, 2003." That’s the last thing you want featuring on your website. It conveys to the reader that not only has the website not been updated but it causes doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the surfer. There is a very slight chance that a person would want to visit this website again if he doesn't find any useful information on it the first time and also notices the above statement.
A website is like the tip of the iceberg; the most visible part of a company or an organization. It is one of the prime sources of information for the visitors and readily speaks of any organization's values, beliefs and working. One of the most important reasons people go online to pull information from a website is because it is quick and (as they assume) up to date. They really don't expect a website to have stale and old information which would be of no use to them. In times like today when almost all the information is passed on through online, staying updated is extremely crucial. It speaks well of a company, an organization or an owner and shows that he/they are really concerned, tech-savvy and professional.
Leaving everything aside for the moment and just looking into the human mind would tell us that no one likes monotony. Even in our habits and working, we crave for change, especially after doing the same thing for a long time. Monotony leads to boredom which in turn leads to disinterest. Same is true for websites. Having the same website for a prolonged period without updating it would be a cause of disinterest for the visitors and would eventually hinder the number of people visiting it. New and fresh content dropped in regularly, puts exactly that spice back into a website as does a weekend on the beach.
For companies, it is very essential to update the content of their website since it is an interface between the stockholders, the staff and the corporation itself. Through websites, investors can keep track of the latest news and happenings within the organization. Keeping the website up to date becomes even more essential for companies promoting their products or services through them. Since innovation plays a big part in product development, it also does in exhibiting them. As they say to salesmen - "bring something new to the table every time". Updating sites regularly with fresh content would generate a curiosity amongst the customers or the readers and would provide them with an incentive to visit the website again. Even if you do not have new products, services or information, add new pictures, change the colours, fonts or the layout. This would work in your favour in ways more than one.
For clubs and social organizations, websites are a medium of informing the people about the group's activities, a prospectus for the new ones and for people willing to donate. Even if the associations are meeting regularly and working ardently for a cause and not updating the website with the same, people will tend to think that the group is inactive. This would be highly detrimental for a group's reputation. After all, who would want to join a club or donate money if they see that there has been no activity since February 23, 2003? In short, updating the websites religiously would highly benefit clubs and organizations and lead to membership growth and higher funds!
Thus, if you would like to be looked upon as a professional and concerned, then update your website regularly with fresh content. This would not only attract new visitors, members, customers, stockholders etc. but would also keep the existing ones satisfied.
posted at 01:17 AM on Jul 12, 2007 by -
Category: Blogging
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