Your website is thirsty. Water it.

I don't like to update web pages I assembled a long time ago.  If I've seen the page hundreds of times, and if the initial thrill of creating it is long gone, it becomes difficult to stay on top of updates.  Those types of pages give me a "been there, done that" type of feeling.

Updating old web pages isn't a challenge.  I'd much rather create something new!  Where's the triumph, where's the challenge in working on old pages?  But yes, care and maintenance is critical to a healthy website.

This afternoon my wife and I went to the nursery to buy some new shrubs.  The only reason we needed to buy new shrubs is because four of ours died in the past year, and it's finally time to rip out the old and put in the new.  And I know why they died -- because I'm bad with plants.  Plants hate me because I don't take care of them well.  I don't prune shrubs, I don't water them during dry spells, and I certainly don't protect them in the winter or fertilize them often enough.

Think about your website(s).  How often do you prune them (remove old content, look for dead links)?  How often do you give them the maintenance they deserve?  Do you take existing pages for granted, and only get excited when you're creating a new page (just like I take my existing shrubs for granted, and only spend time thinking about them once they've died and I need to buy new ones)?

This week, give some tender loving care to a section of your website you haven't looked at in a long time.  What can you do to remove the dead wood?  How can you make it stronger?  Are there ways you can build it into something that can blossom?  If you give a little thought to SEO on these neglected pages, can you help to pollinate the search engines and drive more traffic?

Photo by Art Poskanzer