Maintenance

Maintaining a website involves, among other things:

  • keeping information on the site up to date
  • responding to feedback from site visitors
  • archiving out of date content in an appropriate manner
  • regularly assessing the website's goals and its ability to meet those goals

Tell Me More?

A website is part of any organisation’s public face and a lack of continuing care can reduce the impact and value of even the best-designed and most interesting sites, and reflect poorly on the organisation itself.

Updating information

The readily updateable nature of websites can be highly beneficial, in that new information can be rapidly posted as circumstances change, and typographical and other errors can be easily corrected. This can, however, be a double-edged sword, as users expect website information to be totally up-to-date and tend to be unforgiving of delays.

Naturally, different types of sites demand different levels of maintenance. If a site contains only generic corporate information that changes rarely, then ongoing needs will be small. However, sites that feature rapidly changing or ephemeral information, such as press releases, organisation news and policy announcements, will require skilled staff dedicated to effecting rapid, accurate change.

Online communication

Web users have come to expect quick responses to online requests for information or help, subscriptions to online services, and online commercial orders. It is also considered good ‘netiquette’ to thank visitors who provide online feedback or survey information with an email response.

In most cases a system can be set up by the Web Manager to send immediate automatic replies to online messages, so that users are assured that their messages have been received. These automated replies can then be followed as necessary by individual replies from designated staff.

If your site attracts large numbers of visitors, you will probably want to start gathering information from them about who they are, and what their needs and expectations are. Many organisations make the mistake of encouraging online communication with their users through forms and email feedback facilities on their web sites, without having set up the administrative capacity to deal promptly and efficiently with this type of communication. Failure to administer online communication can be as damaging to a department or agency’s image as failing to answer correspondence or the telephone.

Website evolution and re-design

As sites evolve, the design strategy used to create the site in the first place often become out-dated and insufficient to support the greater number of resources the more evolved site offers. Similarly, developments in technology and refinements may also cause the website to evolve to a point where the original design is less than optimal, and no longer meets requirements.

The evolution of the web site requires regular reassessments of the website’s goals and its ability to meet those goals. Most websites should be reviewed at least twice a year. For many websites, re-designs are needed annually. Re-designs may be needed more often for sites that are developing content at a fast pace.

A new snapshot of an agency’s website should be taken following each major site redesign, and stored securely along with copies of the software required to browse the site and enable its full functionality.

See also:

Why Must I?

There are no mandatory Australian Government requirements for this topic.

How Do I?

Who Can Help?

For queries and assistance contact:

Better Practice
Australian Government Information Management Office
Department of Finance and Deregulation
better.practice@finance.gov.au

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