I spent much of today working on updating a number of web pages and blogs I manage around Ye Olde Internet.

I have always been surprised by just how many people will start a web site or blog, and then not ever update it. I'm not talking about the actual blog posts or page content here, I am talking about all the "little details" like contact information, pricing (when someone is selling something) and so forth.

As I wandered through this ocean of information I have created over the past 20 years or so, I was alarmed by just how much was actually horribly out of date.

Where does your path lead you?

Sometimes It's the Little Things...

Sometimes it is just a lot of minor details that need attention. Like references to time: When I read something and it might read "ten years ago," and actually refers back to an event that happened in 2002... that's when I know the site owner really hasn't been around to do maintenance recently.

In the case of a couple of my niche blogs, I ended up having to delete or update a bunch of links that evidently were pointing at "dead" pages. Maybe I'm just being overly particular here, but "broken links" are a pet peeve of mine.

Some people might think I should just lighten up, and maybe I would if it weren't for the fact that I am going to be using these web properties to help me build up a couple of online businesses.

The winter snows are arriving...

Busy-work... or Good Practice?

The more extensive your presence — as a writer, artist or other creative — the more time you can expect to spend, doing this sort of maintenance.

I have been trying to "automate" as much as I possible can... but you just can't always automate. For example, in the case of artwork, you want to present the very best you have to your following and potential clients. Which means you have to regularly check all your web sites and posting venues to make sure you don't have "stale" content showing.

Overly persnickety?

Personally, I don't think so. A lot of what I do today is an improvement over what I was doing 2, 5, 10 years ago... so I try to make my portfolio as current as possible. And I believe pretty much all Creatives who are also in some kind of personal sales would do well to stay updated.

A curious crow...

Leaving a Poor Impression

A good baseline is to consider how you respond when you encounter something that is severely out-of-date. If you are likely to pass by some creative service provider's site because it seems neglected and like it hasn't been updated in a long time... then it's a pretty good bet you should take care that your own web marketing is current.

Of course, it doesn't always work that way.

For example, my current therapist — whom I started seeing in July — has a web site that probably hasn't had any new information added since 2015. Although I did speculate as to whether or not she was even practicing anymore, I ended up making contact, regardless.

But you can't always rely on that.

And it's particularly important with "time sensitive" information... if you're an artist, be careful you don't have pages up that state that your "next gallery show" is in December... three years ago.

Slightly less cumbersome is blogs that haven't been updated in several years. Even if you are not an active blogger... it's good practice to throw an update out there every six months or so, at least if you are still relying on your site to bring you leads, sales, clients or whatever your purpose is!

Thanks for reading!

(Another #creativecoin creative non-fiction post)

Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 191026 23:43 PDT
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