Significant amounts of money have been spent on the development of web sites. Unfortunately, companies make little investment in updating those sites or maintaining their relevancy. Why? To begin with, in most small to medium sized businesses, maintenance of the web site is a low priority for the IT or marketing departments. It's perceived as grunt duty. However, for the first time, many Internet users are questioning the validity of the information posted on web sites. This, in turn, has led to the need for "web site maintenance" - the process of continually updating and improving the company web site so that it adjusts to the ever-growing demands of the increasingly sophisticated Internet user.

The numbers reveal the problem

The data clearly reveal a lack of connection between the customer’s expectation and the provider delivery when it involves web usage. According to a recent research report, "About 58 percent of users in 2001 believed that most or all of the information on the Internet is reliable and accurate." That leaves a significant audience share with doubts about the data they acquire through Internet use.

Another research report, noted that "89 percent of business people aren't impressed with the web sites they visit. And 66 percent rarely return to sites where they've had a bad experience." Again, the researchers found that there is a significant gap between customer expectation and experience. Specifically:
Almost 80 percent of visitors feel that business web sites tend to be designed from an internal company perspective v. a user perspective.
95 percent say that it is very or extremely important that the information they need to do their jobs be accessible, up-to-date, and easy to find on the web. Yet, nearly half said that business web sites are not always easy to navigate.
90 percent of those surveyed said they expect companies to respond to questions submitted via their web sites within 24 hours. Fifty-eight percent wanted an even faster response ... in less than eight hours.

A publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine reported that only 29 percent of users say they trust web sites that sell products and services, a far lower figure than for traditional, offline institutions.

Further research clearly identifies the top factors that increase a visitor's perception of site credibility:
Provides quick response to customer service questions
Provides comprehensive information that is attributed to a specific source
Lists author's credentials for each article
Is hosted by an organization that is well respected
Has been updated since the last visit
Looks professionally designed

And the factors that diminish the site's credibility?
Has a link that doesn't work
Is sometimes unexpectedly unavailable
Has a typographical error
Is rarely updated with new content
Is difficult to navigate
Links to a site that is not credible

What's the problem?

There are always a number of rational reasons why web site maintenance is a forgotten priority. Web site maintenance is normally not budgeted, planned or integrated into performance-based tasks. It is often the responsibility of a committee with little or no accountability. In many instances, it's perceived as the lowest common denominator function or delegated to staff who have little or no understanding of, training in, or commitment to web site marketing strategy, e.g., human resources staff, administrative assistants, etc. For the overworked, under-budgeted marketing department, checking links and updating content is a low priority on the "to-do" list. Worse still, little or no time is spent in analyzing web site reports and activity metrics. That's where the real opportunity loss occurs.

In the final analysis, what this means is that web site investment is perceived as a liability with little return on investment. The web site, an important tool in brand leverage if managed correctly, becomes a cause of brand erosion e.g., missed opportunities to offer competitive information, services and products. As potential customers are lost, competitors gain. The final result is a loss of credibility and trust in the brand or the organization. And the failure to conduct an ongoing analysis of the site's performance, results in missed opportunities to economically update the site by adding new content, features or other interactivity functions. Not to mention lower search Engine rankings.

A way out of the wilderness

There are five basic filters that the average Internet user applies to web site assessment:

1. Is the information reliable and accurate? This is the entry point to any web site experience.

2. Can I trust the information to make needed decisions? What are the repercussions of incorrect data in terms of time, money and personal credibility?

3. Is it worth my time to interact with this site? Do I waste time with broken links and dead pages?

4. Can I easily find the information I need? Is the site easy to navigate?

5. Is there a reason to return to the site ... to bookmark the site? Is the content updated? How frequently? Is it relevant and valuable to me?

Web site maintenance provides distinct and accountable benefits that most companies are failing to acknowledge; the benefit list is long:
Increase sales from Internet and traditional channels
Increase web site value and credibility
Gain visitor trust
Increase ROI through longer, deeper site visits
Reinforce branding strategy
Foster customer loyalty
Expand competitive advantage
Increase conversion of newsletter registrations, product update requests, survey participation, etc.
Stimulate return site visits and site bookmarks
Enhance customer web site experience
Improve search Engine rankings
Encourage the media to view the site as a credible source of industry information and product advice