“Websites don’t last forever. Without consistent upkeep, sometimes they barely even make it three years! The rapid change of web technology can overtake what was once state-of-the-art and reduce a website to a quaint relic in pretty short order, which is why it’s so critical to realistically consider the “shelf life” of your website when you first build it.”

“But the truth is that predicting how technological change will affect your website is virtually impossible. There is bound to be something—whether it be the way browsers display your website or simply what’s in style—that will change in the near future and cause you to rethink choices you may be making right now. And that’s ok, as long as you’re comfortable with your website being a work in progress.”

“Meanwhile, for many existing websites, the signs of digital decay are accumulating. Dormancy has been a very common strategy for reducing web-related expenses during the economic downturn, but there really is no such thing as true dormancy. As the web around it continues to grow, an unmaintained website is subject to a similar entropy as an untended home—a crumbling foundation, peeling paint, leaks, and pests.”

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According to Discover Small Business Watch, 47 percent of consumers surveyed say they are more likely to use a small business that has a Web site.

Despite the fact that so many customers put stock in a Web site, many small businesses don’t have one with a Discover Small Business Watch survey of small business owners indicating that only 45 percent had a company Web site.

The Better Business Bureau recommends that these business owners ask themselves four questions to help decide whether building a Web site should become a top priority.