What Is a Continuous Cycle of Improvement?
Many years ago, I took a Human Relations in Business class from Jeri Mae Rowley. There were so many new ideas, one of which was “continuous cycle of improvement.” Years later, it turns out that this business concept is important to my web development work. Planning for ongoing updates to your website software and content help your SEO (search engine optimization), the usability of your site for viewers, and the security of your software.
Ongoing Updates, instead of Binging
Often clients will give me a list of changes they want on their website. It’s my job to think of those changes as part of the big picture. Besides stepping back, prioritizing and scheduling the changes, I also suggest that my clients themselves look at each task as one piece of a continuous cycle of improvement for their website. Consistent changes over a period of time shows commitment to the site. Regular updates signal to the search engines that this is not an abandoned site. Websites are never finished.
Each change to a website can lead to new ideas and adjustments to previous plans. But too often, the focus is on colors and placement … and content updates are ignored. Both are very important. Layout and design aren’t just flash and sparkle, but can also make the content easier to find and read.
I have to give myself that same little lesson! Every time I look at my site, I see countless little things that aren’t quite right, my own list of changes. Just last week, I found that information on my Contact page was out of date. I need to be patient with my time, not forget that writing content is the most important thing, and make changes as time allows.
In these images, I’m trying to diminish the visual conflict between the banner slider and the group of images under it. When the color of both areas is very intense and busy, It’s causes mental overload in trying to take it all in. So, I desaturated the color on the bottom set on some, and went to totally black and white on others. It’s better, but not perfect yet.
In the meantime, going back to an earlier fix, I’m sitting on the changes to the text in the banner until 1) I decide I accomplished the goal of making them more noticeable, 2) I think of a better change. https://www.facebook.com/…/a.33242357344…/2024831844207881/…
… and we are using the same concepts on Jeri Mae Rowley’s new site: https://jerimaerowley.com/