Your website may have been 'state-of-the-art' 5 or even 2 years ago but, with massive changes in technology and the way people use the internet, unless you've kept your site up to date your business could be losing out. Yet a website refresh or update need not be a costly exercise. Often quite small changes will update your website – and it'll also give you something to tell your clients about.

Design – does your website attract and engage potential clients?

Just as in fashion, music and cars, tastes change online and it's very easy for your company and product to look dated. Yet in the faceless online world appearances are particularly important – people are more likely to trust and make contact with a site that looks attractive, fresh and modern than one that looks tired and old fashioned.

Changes in design aesthetics have also been accompanied by significant technological developments. It means web designers can now create a more rewarding, enjoyable user experience, showcasing your products and services in ways that engage potential clients. The use of videos, interactive presentations, podcasts and forums enable clients to understand better what you're offering and create a stronger relationship with your brand.

Technology – can your website be viewed across a range of devices?

We don't build websites the way we did 5 years ago. In fact technology is moving so fast that a website built 2 years ago can be out of date. One of the big drivers behind this rapid change is that the way in which people view websites has transformed. They're no longer limited to a home or office computer. Your website will be viewed on mobile devices like an iPhone or BlackBerry, on tablets like iPad, Dell Streak or joojoo, on televisions, netbooks, laptops and also on traditional PCs.

Web design now has to take into account the various ways in which people can interact with your website. So, for example, if your site was built using Flash, at the moment if you don't offer a non-Flash version your site won't be visible on iPhones or iPads, the search engines may not be able to index the content, and you may be breaking the law as your site is inaccessible to people who don't use a keyboard or are visually impaired.

If you're running an ecommerce store or using a contact form, it's also important to note you may be exposing your site to hackers if you don't update it regularly. We recently evaluated a client's website that had had 70 security breaches in the past 6 months due to out of date code.

Search engines – does your website appear high up in search results?

The search engines update their algorithms regularly (the criteria used to decide where web pages appear in search results). The way your site was built may be impacting your ability to achieve a high ranking.

Content management systems – is it easy to update your website content?

A content management system allows you to manage and update your site yourself. It's easy, you don't need to know how to write code, and because you don't have to pay your web designer to make content changes, it's very cost-effective. Most importantly, it makes it easy to keep your site fresh, accurate and regularly updated –attracting more visitors and more sales.

For a no-obligation discussion on whether your website could benefit from an update contact us on 0845 258 1208