How an Outdated Website Can Be Compared to Sour Milk

Most people spend a good portion of their time looking for solutions, shopping, researching, or maintaining their business online. In today's virtual world, it's quite difficult to find just one of any type of website. This is great to the consumer since it gives options, but it's a tough reality to the seller. For the seller, there is a constant need of maintaining a web presence that is new, trendy and stands out like a diamond in the ruff. Unfortunately, the days of hiring someone to create a simple basic website with two colors and one picture and then expecting it to get the job done, are long over. Today, websites need to be updated weekly giving return customers something new to see, and new customers the feeling that your website is top dog and will have everything they are looking for.

When comparing two cartons of milk, one might have an expiration date a few days sooner then the other. Which are you going to buy? Offhand, you'll purchase the milk with the later date because supposedly it will last longer, and there's a better chance of it not going sour before being emptied. In reality, they might both go bad at the same time, and there is probably no taste different between the two of them, but, in the end, the fresher one is a smarter choice. The same idea applies to a website. If you have two websites, one a little outdated and one new and updated, you're more likely to spend more time with the website that's new and filled with fresh ideas. It might give you more of what you need, and it already has fresh material. Just like the milk, they might both have the same contents, same prices and give you the same end result. But, as usual the newer one is the more optimal choice for most.

There are two likely problems that come about when considering to keep a website updated and maintained. They might be quite obvious, and you've probably already thought of them while reading this. 1. You're not a web developer, and have no clue how to update your own website, or 2. In this economy, who has the funds to keep paying someone to update your website on a weekly basis? Well, there's good News! There's a solution for both of these problems. Content Management System. Having a CMS built and designed for you for a one time price can create a solution of self-worth when it comes to updating your own website. All you have to do is choose the colors, images, and content, then sit back and watch the software do all the heavy lifting. Sounds pretty simple right? It is, but the one time expense often scares people away. Although, it's only a scary fact, until you realize that a CMS is simply an investment. It will prevent you from having to pay someone to constantly update your website, while also allowing you to have complete control over the content, look, and feel of your site. In the end, a CMS can pull more customers toward you, which might be a better option then sitting around like the soon to be expired carton of milk.

We've all learned the lesson of "you get what you pay for." It's no different with websites. If you only invest a little time and a little amount of money, you'll probably invest a little time and little money many times throughout the life of your website. If you invest a good amount of time, and a good amount of money once, it keeps providing for you over and over throughout the life of your site.

If you aren't 100% sure you fall under the category of having an older looking site, here are a couple of helpful ways to know if you need to update or not:

• Do you have a blog? Blogging is the quickest way to create a relationship with your visitors. It's a way to give your website a personality, and to prove that there is a person behind the curtain. A blog can also show off your knowledge in the area you area you are trying to showcase on your website.
• No pictures? Just like children don't want to read a story with just words, most adults are just big children when it comes to web pages. People are drawn to a websites images first, content second. So, if you only have a lot of text on your homepage, there's a good chance some are going to take a look and quickly realize they don't feel like reading to find out what your company offers.
• Do you use fluorescent colors or bubbly permanent marker font looking text? If you do, this is what the industry would refer to as a bounce rate. It screams old, fake and potentially "scam." People will leave your site faster then the it took them the time to read the link in their search engine. Today, corporate colors, white space and clean fonts are easy on the eyes and look the most trustworthy and professional.
• Does your contact page just list your address and phone number? We're all aware of how lazy we've become. No one wants to write things down, and if they do -- they might forget why they wrote it down. Having a contact page that allows visitors to send you a direct message, leave a comment or request a quote is almost like locking in a lead. The instant behavior prevents a visitor from staring at your phone number on a notepad next to their phone for a week, while debating to call. Instead, they can get the answers they need from you probably quickly through a nice e-mail you'll be eager to write.
• All talk and no action. A lot of outdated websites will often times claim the world under their business name. "Best in the industry," "Number 1 -- ," are what you might come across when you find a business trying to sell with just simple words. There is no such thing as having faith in an honest salesman anymore. The only way you're going to sell something is with proof. Having a gallery of what you offer, sell, or have done will create a spark of interest in the viewer and will also show them that you are capable of doing what you said your doing.
• If any of the above five hints apply to you and your website, One27 Studios can easily assist you with implementing an updated website, and even a CMS to allow you to always have control over not becoming the sour milk on the shelf.