If you are old enough to remember the internet in the late 90s, you will probably remember blocky, clunky and often difficult to navigate webpages. In a time when dial-up was all we had and smartphones were still science fiction. The online world has changed beyond recognition since those halcyon days and the internet no longer arrives in the post on a shiny AOL CD.
This is all very nice and all, but why are we going on this nostalgia trip?
The reason for this trip down memory lane is a perfect introduction into why, if you are looking to grow and expand your business, revisiting your website is vital. When you start growing and expanding, your business plan may have increased revenue or expanded custom bases at the heart of it. In order to do this in the 2020s a core part of your forward planning needs to focus on your online presence. It is easy when exploring overheads and projections to forget your business’ website, however this is often your customers first impression of your organisation. Keeping your website up-to-date and supported is not just a nice thing to have but a core business requirement.
As a freelance website developer I work with small and medium enterprises to bring their websites up to the minute. There are a couple of reasons I do this, firstly from a business point of view modernised websites give an easy and accessible user experience. Through my experience with WordPress Plugins and WordPress Themes I ensure that customers’ first impressions match the brand vision of my clients. My website builds are built to make your vision come to life and create visually appealing websites that give your customers and clients confidence in your enterprise. Accessible and easy to use interfaces are some of the first steps to repeat custom; how often have you clicked off a website because it was too complicated to navigate?
The second reason for ensuring websites are maintained and up-to-date is security. I have talked in previous blogs about the need for good data handling and database management. An up to date website is vital if you are handling data and is a useful tool when examining your company’s GDPR compliance. There is however another reason to make sure your website is up to date, and that is outside bad actors and cyber attacks. We have seen recently the attacks on UK supermarkets that lead to customers’ personal data being stolen. One way that hackers access your company’s data is through outdated systems and lack of security updates – this includes through insecure web presence. In my freelance work as a web developer and database manager I work with you to make sure your website and databases are secure and working with GDPR guidelines.
I really enjoy working with businesses to revamp their web presence. It is great working with long term clients to make sure their website matches their current business needs and requirements. I take pride in building websites and databases that not only showcase my clients work but are secure and modern with accessible and easy to use user interfaces. To return to our reminiscing, while 1990s (questionable) fashion may be back and we might be nostalgic for the dial up connection scream, for your business’ web presence my bespoke services ensure it is nothing less than cutting edge.
Growing a business is an exciting time where new challenges emerge – if this blog has made you want to modernise and update your web presence and/or databases please check out my WordPress Developer work and my Database Management work. I will develop a bespoke solution for your business’ needs, so please get in touch.