Design Ontap

Popular websites change, it's a fact (well, except slashdot).

They change mainly to meet the new needs of its visitors. As these visitors change, so too must the site.There's two main methods of change for a website:

Revolution -The site is left for a long time in its current state before it receives a huge change to bring it back up to scratch.

Evolution - The site regularly receives small changes to help it constantly adapt to it's ever-changing visitors, keeping it relevant and up-to-date.

Traditionally companies have opted for the 'Revolution' approach to their web-based business. MD's and CEO's could often be heard saying things like: "We've spent thousands on this website, why should we have to pay for more changes?", but this would be like spending thousands of pounds on a car, and then complaining that one must spend a few hundred pounds a year to maintain it.

Like it or not, Managers tend to think financially about business decisions, and this attitude of "We've already spent..." would actually change if they knew the benefits of an evolving website.

In terms of finance, it's more financially viable for a business to spend small amounts regularly than to pile huge lump sums at a project every 5 years. Regularly financing a website for changes could actually save money in the long-run, and it's easier to spread the cost.

So why else should we opt for 'Evolving' websites?

Fashion

Fashions and Trends don't change in 5 year intervals. What's most appealing now will change within a year. Evolving websites can change to accomodate fresh, fasionable designs, instead of leaving a design to grow old and stale.

Business

A website reflects the business it represents. Most companies develop new products, services, on a more regular basis than 5 years, so to accurately represent these changes, the website should also 'Evolve' to meet the new needs of the business.

Audience

With so many things to do, why should someone visit your site?
An evolving website keeps the content new and different, providing visitor's with something they havn't seen before.

For example, my Dad visits the Honda UK Motorbike website around once a week. He visits this site regularly because he likes to read the latest Honda news, or see the pictures from the latest race.

Staff

If you added training onto the cost of a website, Evolving websites cost less than sites that have large changes made less regularly. An evolving website allows staff to be trained one-bit-at-a-time as apposed to teaching them how to us a new system.

In summary:

Evolving websites are generally:

• More financially viable
• More 'trendy' and fashionable
• A more accurate representation of the company
• More addictive
• Easier to manage and train staff to use.