How To Make Website Maintenance Decisions

How to make website maintenance decisions.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about web development, it’s that there is no such thing as a finished website. Companies change, people change, styles change, and search engines change. Thinking it’s possible to succeed with a website that stands still is a mistake.

Every addition to a website will affect it on multiple levels. The problem is that many times what’s beneficial to one area can negatively impact another. It’s important to consider each in order to avoid putting time and effort into changes that unknowingly push you a few steps back.

I have created a simple model based on the economic value added theory combined with a cost-benefit analysis (honestly not as complicated as it sounds).

Why Should You Use This Tip?

1.) It only takes a couple minutes
2.) It numerically ranks your different options
3.) It acts as a reminder to look at the effect on each area

The Five Website Categories to Rank From -5 to 5

Usability – Will the change make user experience easier or more complicated?
(Complicates Experience) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 (Simplifies Experience)

SEO – Will it increase or decrease your website’s search engine optimization?
(Decrease Rankings) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 (Increase Rankings)

Programming – Will it add or subtract from your website’s functionality?
(Subtracts Functionality) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 (Adds Functionality)

Design – Will it make the website more or less aesthetically pleasing?
(Depreciates Design) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 (Improves Design)

Money – Will it cost money to implement or add the ability to make money?
(Costs Money) -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 (Makes Money)

The Web Design Equation

Once you’ve ranked all five it’s time to add them up. You should be looking at a number somewhere between -25 and 25. If your number is outside this area, grab the nearest calculator or middle school math teacher and try again. This number represents the total value added in making the change.

If you are only trying to decide if one change is worth making then this is your answer. A positive number indicates that moving forward with the project provides an overall benefit to your website.

Choosing Between Multiple Projects

If you are trying to decide between two or more changes then you’re not quite finished. There is one more important variable in the equation. That variable is time. Often you’ll find that options with slightly lower total values are actually better choices because of their reduced time needed for implementation.

I came up with a pretty accurate formula using standard deviations* to accomplish this section. I then realized that doing large statistical calculations completely ruined my first reason for this technique being helpful (“It only takes a couple minutes”). So I created a much simpler process. *For the mathematically inclined, I added the equation to the bottom of this post.

First, come up with an estimated amount of time each project will take. Then, (Since there’s no such thing as negative time) rate them with a number between 1 and 5. Use the project that takes the least amount of time as the base with a rating of 1. Finally, rate the rest according to how much additional time the project takes in relation to your own personal time constraints. If you’re in no rush and the increase isn’t significant then it can also be rated a 1, but if you’re slammed with work and it monopolizes your full week then it’s probably closer to a 5.

Solving The Equation

At this point each project should have two numbers. The first number which represents the total added value and the second number which represents the time required. Simply divide the first number by the second number. The project finishing with the highest number signifies the best choice.

I hope this tip is helpful in your decision making process. If nothing else, it’s a good reminder to look at the impact your changes makes on each area of the website.