Does Your Web Site Say You Can't Cope?

Monday 10 January, 2005

by Usability One

By not keeping their web site up to date, many organisations are making the unwanted statement that they aren't able to cope.

Organisations with web sites that contain out-of-date or inaccurate information are perceived as not on the ball, and slow to react or respond.

Research suggests that visitors to such sites view the company as unprofessional and unreliable, and are deterred from the site even before they try to use its features.

Web sites are an important communications channel with important audiences such as existing and potential customers, and organisations need to continually check that their web site reflects what they are now, not who they were in the past.

It's particularly relevant at the beginning of the year because many people haven't thought to update their web site so it refers to the previous year as the current date.

It's not just a question of having the site up-to-date with information such as the year, but also of reflecting changes in the aims, service offerings or product priorities of the company.

Some questions that should be asked include:

• Does 'this year' mean the current year or the previous year?
  
• Does the web site reflect any new marketing initiatives or positioning that has been created for the coming year?
  
• Have there been any changes in business plans or approaches that should be indicated on the web site?

Most organisations like to think of themselves as friendly and helpful, but often their web site doesn't reflect this, and it may be downright unhelpful. Even information that is only a week out-of-date can send a negative message about the organisation.

Areas to check include:

• Correct dates:
  
  Any references to "this year" should mean the current year. Similarly, if you talk about something taking place "next year" then ensure this refers to the next year.
  
• End of year specials:
  
  If you had any end of year or Christmas promotions, make sure you have removed any references on the web site.
  
• Upcoming events:
  
  Remove details of events that have already taken place, and replace them with any functions planned for the first quarter of the new year.
  
• Newsroom:
  
  If you have a newsroom on your web site, consider archiving all of the previous years stories and starting afresh with the new year.
  
• Company information:
  
  Is it still accurate and relevant? Do any people listed still have the same position?
  
• Links:
  
  Are the links still working and are they reaching a live site?
  
• Company contact:
  
  Does the company email contact offered on the site work? Who receives these emails? Is there a response within the promised time? It's always worth sending test emails from remote addresses from time to time, to check the service.

Source;ceoonline.com