Do Websites have ‘Use By’ Dates?

Well, technically no, websites do not have ‘use by’ dates; but they should be treated with a healthy dose of ‘best before’ caution. As the online world gets increasingly powerful, with the ability to quickly adapt to progressive technology, it doesn’t take long for a relatively recent site to go ‘off’. A common question many website owners have concerns the longevity of their site; how long until it will need to be revamped or refreshed?

From the early days of HTML coding, through to the advent of the near-extinct Flash, the internet has come a long way as Content Management Systems are now as regular as your morning coffee. On top of this, the introduction of internet ready mobile devices and tablets have brought about Responsive Web Design being a ‘must have’ to keep your website up-to-date. Then there’s the maintenance of the website, with plugins and security features needing to be updated. Plus, we haven’t even touched on the ever-changing trends of web design!

So this raises the question, how close is your website to it’s best before date?

Here are a few issues to look out for when assessing the current age of your site:

• Your website content doesn’t conform to the size of your browser when you adjust the display
• By right clicking on any moving elements of your website you can see whether these use a Flash player
• You aren’t able to alter image or text content for your website
• Your site looks dated or there are visual errors (bugs) that have started to appear
• Analytics show your site is suffering or beginning to drop visitor numbers

Keeping your websites design and development up-to-date is crucial in delivering a polished and professional accessory to your organisation and it’s brand image.