How often you need to update your website depends a lot on the nature of the site.
On Ticketlab we’re continually responding to user requests and adding new functionality, so a new release every week is not unusual. As users can create their own events events, they’re also generating their own content on Ticketlab. Having this content add to a dynamically generated sitemap that has been submitted to Google Search Console means that these updates automatically appear in search results and Google is aware we’re an active site, which helps our ranking. Finding ways to auto or user-generate content can help keep your website fresh without requiring as many updates yourself.
We’re currently in the process of developing a theme for WordPress that will allow you to display your Ticketlab events automatically on your own website. This will help keep your website content fresh as you create new events.
If you maintain a blog on your site, going longer than a month or two without updates can make users question if you’re still active or allow them to forget you exist (and we’re been guilty of this in the past on this blog!). Outsourcing this work can be a good strategy if your site depends on its blog for any reason.
I’ve been a web developer now for over 15 years, and for much of that time I’ve created and supported websites for SMEs. Generally I’ve found that a site tends to look a bit dated after 2-3 years. This can be due to changes in technology (e.g. the rise of mobile, retina displays etc.) or in design trends (e.g the move from skeuomorphism to more minimalist approaches). Keeping an eye on new developments in display technology and the design adopted by the websites you regularly interact with will help you spot if your site needs a refresh.
Web design and layout has standardised a lot on the past few years. This is in part due to the templates offered by website builders and blogs (such as WordPress), and partly because the big tech companies have released design guidelines outlining their approach to desktop and mobile design, which developers have embraced to make their sites more easily accessible to new users. This should slow the rate at which design starts to look out of date.
Stay tuned to this blog to find out when we release our WordPress Theme/plugin so you can have a modern and easy to update website of your own to market your events.