People often ask how many years a website should last. There is no fixed answer. A small charity’s website can serve it well for years, while a busy shop may need changes every few months.
The better question is whether the website still does its job. These are the signs that it may not.
- It looks dated next to the organisations you are compared with
- It is hard to read or use on a phone
- Your logo, colours or way of describing yourselves have changed, and the website has not
- Fewer people find you through search than a year or two ago
- Simple changes take a long time, or need someone outside to make them
- You are not sure whether your forms still reach anyone
One or two of these can often be fixed without starting again: rewriting a few pages, tidying the menu, or repairing a form. Several at once usually means the foundations are the problem, and patching will cost more in the end than rebuilding.
If you do rebuild, start with what the website is for, ask the people who use it what gets in their way, and choose a platform your own team can keep up to date. Then the next rebuild can be a long way off.
