Your Website Isn't Finished When It Launches
The most common misconception health practices and nonprofits have about their website is that it's a project with an end date; they may think that the process is to design, build, launch and then it’s all done.
This process may make sense in the context of how websites are generally created (i.e. it’s a deliverable rather than living infrastructure), but it misses what a website actually is, and what happens to it over time without updates.
What user experience tells us about website content
In user experience design (UX) and content strategy, there is a concept called Content Decay, which describes the gradual erosion of a website's relevance, accuracy, and usability over time. This eventually results in a slow loss of page traffic, search rank, and user engagement over time.
For a health practice, decay looks like the services page that still lists an offering that was discontinued last year, or the staff page has a photo of someone who left eighteen months ago.
For a nonprofit, it looks like the homepage photo is from an event that happened three years ago, or the impact numbers haven't been updated since the last annual report.
Decay doesn’t happens because of intentional neglect, but more often it’s because once the site launches, it ceases being an active project and responsibility.
What the research shows
Website credibility research consistently shows that outdated content is one of the most significant drivers of trust erosion for health-related websites specifically. Patients who encounter inaccurate information, such as outdated staff, discontinued services, or broken links, tend to report significantly reduced confidence in the organization's competence and reliability.
People tend to believe that if an organization can't maintain accurate information on its own website, it communicates an inconsistency for the organization as a whole.
What ongoing website maintenance actually involves
Treating a website as living infrastructure doesn't mean that someone needs to constantly redesign it; but it does mean there should be scheduled and intentional attention to the things that change.
For most health practices and nonprofits, this involves a quarterly content review, such as ensuring all staff photos and bios current, services and program descriptions still match what's actually offered, and updated impact numbers.
It also involves updating the site when organizational changes happen rather than letting them accumulate over time, such as adding a new service, team member, or program.
The infrastructure mindset
Website infrastructure is similar to any other infrastructure, such as a road or building, in that it needs scheduled maintenance and updates. This ensures that as your business or organization grows and changes over time, that your website stays up to date.
The organizations that get the most from their websites are the ones that treat the launch as the beginning of an ongoing system rather than the completion of a one-time project.
Take the next step
Wondering if your website has drifted from what your organization actually is? Download the free Website Checklist, a 10-point self-assessment for health practices and nonprofits.
→ Get it free at wellfolkdesign.com/resources