How Do You Know When It's Time to Re-Vamp Your Old Website?

For the most part, WordPress sites can survive many years. But they do require many updates along the way.

As technology evolves, so do websites.

In the early 2000s we expected sites to load slowly. As tech changed, we had to speed it up, especially as cell phones came along. That new tech demanded ways to minimize coding, optimize images and other ways to made sites load as instantaneously as possible on our mobile devices.

It's not a news flash to anyone that technology is changing faster than we can learn about it. But when our websites need to respond, it takes all the parts of the site to be compatible.

What happens if one or more of those parts aren't kept up to date? What if a plugin developer is no longer supporting their plugin and has moved on? What if WordPress is updated but the tools we use to make it work aren't revitalized?

Well, let me tell you about my first car.

It's Kind of Like an Old Car

Years ago when I was in grad school at UCLA—and I mean a looong time ago—I had a powder blue 1967 Opel Kadett. It was a very cool little car that I had bought for $100 from some very questionable people in Berkeley. No longer in its prime even then, it was a miracle it made it down to LA and then managed to schlep its way around town for a few years. It was unique, and my friends dubbed it "Land Shark."

My Opel Kadett was like the blue one cropped off on the left. That angle where the back windows meet is some sweet design.

I used to bring my Opel Kadett to the nearest repair shop despite the fact that it was the kind where the mechanics wore lab coats and worked on very fine, mostly Italian, cars. The owner was a very kind man from Italy who did his best to keep the car running… until one day when he said “I can no longer find the parts. But more importantly, I can’t in good conscience let you drive this car any more. PLEASE get a new car for your own safety.”

When I told him I couldn't afford one, this guy—who worked on Ferraris and other fancy European cars—said, “Get a used Pinto.” Seeing my expression*, he added, "Yes, I know they have a bad reputation but the newer ones are safe and they are good little cars.” (*For those not familiar, pre-1978 Pinto had a well-documented rear collision fire risk.)

That's what I did, and found a nifty little white Pinto with custom wheels, orange racing stripes, and enlarged hatchback. It too would eventually reach its compatibility lifespan, but that's what happens with technology.

And when GM stopped making Saturns, it happened all over again.

It's Not What You See Outside; It's How It's Working

From the outside the Opel was still powder blue. The ignition still turned on. But the chassis was no longer good, and other things weren't right. It was no longer possible to find compatible parts and drive it safely. Eventually, it would die altogether or worse, crash.

Your site may look ok on the front-end. But things may stop working. Maybe you are not getting emails, or payments aren't coming through, or memberships aren't being registered. Maybe a page is suddenly blank. Usually updating will fix these issues. Occasionally it's more serious.

The good news: It's easy to update WordPress, WordPress themes, and plugins, and it's important to do so. If WordPress is the chassis and engine, the theme is the body. The plugins are other mechanical and electronic components that extend functionality.

I'm sure automobile aficionados will say my metaphor is somewhat off, but suffice it to say that if we change the oil, check and rotate tires, and do other maintenance, that helps ensure the car's longevity. The same goes with a website: updates and proper maintenance will ensure your site will work well for a long time.

But like my adorable Opel Kadett and the unusually cool Pinto, eventually its time will come. I've mourned both the loss of cars and websites I built and put my heart and brain into. But both cars and websites have jobs to do, and if they can no longer do so, they aren't serving us.

And isn't that what technology is for?

Below: Embarrassing screenshots of websites from early to mid 2000s. At the time they were considered cool revamps of blah templates, but by today's standards they are crowded, hard to read, out of date, and not responsive to mobile devices. More importantly, at some point the code to display products no longer worked with the platform. Technology failed, and the websites were no longer viable.

How Do You Know When It’s Time to Re-Vamp Your Old Website?