THIS week I visited the University of the Free State’s new website. After going through the links and seeing how the website has changed from the previous version I saw that indeed the web has successfully evolved into a more useful and user-friendly website. It is vital that every website must evolve as the needs of users change each and every year, and as new online developments are made.
You need to remember that your users are comparing your website with the newest websites on the Internet. They are browsing the Internet, joining networks and interacting more and more with websites. Websites are getting better each week and each week there are new, fascinating tools out there. You need to constantly change and update your website to ensure that you are current.
Schools and tertiary institutions are forced to keep up to date as their customers are the people who grew up with the web and they are the ones who are online each and every day. They will notice if your website does not engage them. They will see if the institution or school is not up to date. They want to go to school or to a tertiary institution that is pushing new frontiers online and who is at least embracing the newest technology.
I know that the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, is also in the process of updating their website and I am looking forward to see what they have in store when the new site goes online. I see that there are still one or two bugs to sort out on the website, but for now I have to congratulate the UFS for a great new main website. You can view the website at www.ufs.ac.za.