In an era of ever-evolving technology, websites have become the digital face of businesses, but the average website lifespan has become remarkably short. Rapid advancements in design trends, technological innovations, security enhancements, and user expectations render older websites obsolete, demanding constant adaptation to stay relevant and effective in our fast-paced online landscape.

Bait Should Suit the Fish, Not the Angler

Your website is for visitors first and foremost. Let’s face it, while you might think your website looks great and functions properly enough for your purposes; your website is not built for you. We know that may sound harsh, but it’s true, and it’s an important thing to realize.

Without visitors or if your website has a high bounce rate, it’s not doing you any good. For your website to function properly, it must be tailored toward your target market, like every other aspect of your business. And when it comes to an online presence, your target market is vastly broadened since you’re tailoring it toward your market as well as Google’s standards.

Average Lifespan of a Website

Your website’s lifespan is far shorter than you may think. Before you continue reading, take a second to think about how long you think the average lifespan of a website is. Go ahead and take a guess.

We’ve always said that the average lifespan of a website is between 2-5 years. However, that’s a 3-year span in which a lot can happen, especially in today’s fast-paced world. According to research, Forbes states that the average lifespan of a website is two years and seven months. How’d you do? Was your guess close?

Technology Evolves Faster Than You Think

Two years and seven months is a very short period to consider your website’s lifespan, but there are reasons for that. One of the primary factors affecting your website’s lifespan is technology. Ah, yes, the ever-changing world of technology.

While technological developments are lovely and exciting, it can make it difficult for the rest of the world to keep up. Especially today, technology is moving so fast that the older stuff simply won’t work anymore. With new developments, your systems and strategies can become obsolete in the blink of an eye.

In addition to system upgrades, regular security upgrades to your site are also necessary. Without these upgrades, your website will become outdated, making it more vulnerable.

Great Expectations

Something else that’s evolving just as fast as technology, if not faster, is the expectations of online users. For users nowadays, websites must be attractive, straightforward, and, most importantly, fast. The average attention span of an internet user is roughly eight seconds. That’s not much time to get them on the hook and line.

When a visitor enters your website, you want it to be attractive first and foremost. People will likely bounce off quickly if it’s not designed with quality photos and an eye-catching, organized layout. This is because an unattractive website comes across as sketchy and untrustworthy. And who can blame them, considering all the bad stuff that’s out there?

Another increasing expectation of internet users is that your website should be easy to navigate. Again, please take into consideration the average attention span we mentioned. If users can’t quickly find the information they seek, they will likely bounce off and try another website. It’s one thing to grab their attention and it’s another to keep them there.

Last and certainly not least, your website must be fast. This goes hand-in-hand with what we mentioned earlier about technology. As technology evolves, the older stuff slows down. And if a user has to wait longer than a few seconds for a page to load, they might move on. Your website’s speed directly correlates with your website’s bounce rate. The faster your site loads, the lower your bounce rate is.

What’s Next?

If your website is over five years old, it’s likely well due for an upgrade. If this is the case for you, you’re in luck! InsideOut Solutions has been building websites in the hospitality industry for more than 27 years, and we’d be more than happy to help you get back on track with an updated website.

If you’re unsure if your website is up to par with today’s standards, please reach out for a consultation and we’ll let you know.

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If you have any additional questions about your website’s lifespan, we are here to help.