Above – Smile Artistry

Sadly, too many companies do not consider one small element of their website that reads as a major giveaway to how they are keeping up: the copyright date.

On the bottom of nearly every website there is a copyright date/year. Opuscule.com reads 2011, representing we are current, up to date and still in business – right? So why would so many small businesses not care for this important feature?

First, it is important to know that with or without a copyright notice, your material is protected. It doesn’t take a notice of copyright to call claim to your website and all its contents.

But more importantly, this date speaks subtle hints about how you run your business, and even more importantly, if your business is still in existence.

Take for example Pivot in Chicago - their website could definitely use an update. Their website has a copyright date of 2009. It also has an ecommerce page to allow me to shop online from them. When considering an online purchase, I would be reluctant to give them my financial information in fear they went out of business in 2009 – the last time they updated their copyright date. How much trust would you have in their online shop?

Additionally, even if your website looks contemporary like Advanced Dentistry in Seattle, having a copyright date two years old shows how out of date the site actually is.

A website that seems to excel in design, but lacks in technical ability is b.rose salon and spa. Their website has a copyright date of 2007. It also lists very important business items that now seem outdated. For example, are their prices still the same? How about their phone number, hours, address, services?

What small businesses don’t know, and apparently several web designers too, is that there is a way to have the current date automatically display with a simple line of PHP coding. So, even if you don’t update your website on January 1st, 2012, it will automatically display that year when the clock strikes.

Brooklyn Small Business Web Design

As more people trade phone book and traditional print advertising for the web, it’s obvious that your website needs to be top-notch, a representation of your small business. We have created hundreds of affordable, professional sites for entrepreneurs who can boast increased sales and visibility. We are experienced search engine optimization experts and work within your budget to create a great looking site that represents you! Contact us to learn more about how we can help.