How long can a website last?

Many companies, entrepreneurs and freelancers often prefer not to put more work than necessary into a website. Therefore, a website that can last for a longer period of time is often preferred. But how long can a website last? And for how long without doing another promotion for it? We will discuss that in this blog post.

Durability of a website

Unfortunately, there is no durability sticker on your website, and there is no clear answer here either. That's because it depends on many different factors. Your website could be outdated as soon as it goes online, or it could be outdated 5 years after it came out. So it's impossible to be clear for every website when it needs to be completely or partially renewed.

That's not to say that a simple website built with just HTML and CSS can't last more than 5 years. If you look at the very first website, which is now more than 30 years old, you can imagine that it can last a long time this way.

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The underlying code and the security issues that can arise.

The main thing that can go wrong with a website that is created is that the underlying techniques and code can be outdated, which can not only cause a website to not work with the latest internet browser updates. But it can also make a website dangerous due to malware and hacks. Of course, the last thing you want is for your website to display lurid content to your customers. In fact, to avoid this, it is necessary to check if a website has been updated at least once a month. Especially if you have created your website with an open source content management system such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal. This is because these rely heavily on regular updates, not only to function, but also to remain secure.

If you use a section of code for longer than recommended, this can also cause problems. A good example of this is the mysql(); function in PHP 5.6 and below. This function is no longer safe from the ground up and therefore cannot be used at all in later versions of PHP. This is because it has been replaced by mysqli(); and PDO. What is more secure.

Need to maintain a website

So, it is necessary to constantly maintain a website if you want to continue using the same website for a long time. So you should expect that from time to time you will need to update certain components or underlying techniques. This need not take a lot of time and can be done automatically with some components. To do this, consult the documentation for your content management system and check whether it is suitable for your website.

Regular maintenance prevents a lot of hassle and keeps your website accessible, secure, fast and functional.

Innovation and new features that can make a difference

A website and technology don't stand still, compare the world in the early years of 2010 and now in 2023, and you'll notice a big difference not only in the devices you use the internet with. But also the software behind it. Websites have also become one and need to flow between all devices. For example, there is no longer any difference between a website you open on a cell phone and the same website on your desktop. Only the format is adapted to your screen.

Therefore, it is not only important that your website is secure, but also that you use these developments to your advantage. A more pleasant user experience on any device means that users are more satisfied with the website and therefore often more likely to make a purchase or other conversion.

How long do you want your website to last for your business? Let us know via social media!