Lately, we've been getting a lot of calls from people who want us to "fix" part of a website or "give them new features." So it made me think: "What are the sure signs that you should scrap your current website and rebuild from scratch"?
This'll be a humorous (but absolutely true) look at what comes through our doors and indicates you will be better off financially and aesthetically if you just yell "Do-Over!"
5. You have a "hit-counter" on your "home page" Um ... it was cool when it was miraculous that someone across the country could actually fire up an internal modem, hear the little beeps and squeels and then finally hit your website, but today the fact that you have had 103 visitors doesn't impress anyone. So ... of course you can remove your embarrasing hit counter but chances are it's just an indication of the way the rest of the site functions. *We, of course, suggest robust statistics/analytics tools you see - not your visitors.
4. You need new functionality and your site was built using FrontPage. This probably means your site was built 6 years ago by someone who swore they were a "Web Master." For any web company to "add" interactive features such as password-protected areas, easy-to-update text etc ... there will have to be a considerable overhaul (read as: deleting all code)
3. You have a "Splash Page" Please, please, please don't make your visitors wait to get into your site. It's honestly like having to wait in a fast-food line. If your wait is too long - you assume it's badly run, and that what's inside is likely subpar as well. Not to mention the fact that most Flash animation "splash pages" are super-horrible to boot.
2. The price you paid to have your original site built was based on "number of pages" Today, you should absolutely be using a content management system if you run a website that has more than a couple "pages" of content. That means you'll be able to add an infinite amount of text, photos and multimedia yourself. No need to be a "Web Master" (see #4). NMT's SmartSites allow you to do just that: keep your site up-to-date with news, changing information - all through an easy text editor.
1 . You have called every web design house in town and they all giggle/ cough/ put you on hold - when you tell them the url of your current site. The lesson here: Use resource sites like these to size up your current website design against what is current. You'll see pretty quickly there is a great divide in new web design & its communication and sales potential vs. the old style of "putting text and pics" on a page.
If any of these hit too close to home, stop counting your "hits", call NMT and start counting your blessings. 256.704.2324
