Priorities for online publishers: Content and Infrastructure

In these current tough times, it can be tempting to cut back on the costs associated with web hosting and content production.

However, I’d suggest that these two areas are the most vital for any online business whose primary purpose is information publishing.

Without content, visitors have no reason to continue to come to your site.

Without infrastructure, visitors will find it difficult to access your site, even if they want to.

You may think that your archives will sustain you, or that your hosting is perfectly adequate because you’ll never have to handle the “Digg effect”, but complacency could still cost you.

It may be that you need to change the type of content you output, but don’t simply cut back output altogether because your presence and reputation will almost certainly suffer.

It’s worth comparing web hosting deals to ensure that you’re getting the best deal. Recently I moved web hosting companies – not because the original company was particularly bad, but because I effectively got a better system for around half the monthly price.

If you really don’t have the spare capital to invest in content or decent hosting then you may have no choice but to cut back.

Nevertheless, I’d suggest you take a serious look at what changes you can make to streamline your content production and get reliable, solid hosting before considering cutbacks.

When we emerge on the other side of this crisis, your online business will be all the stronger for it.

Disclaimer: I’m painting a positive-thinking picture here, based on my observations of companies that have scaled back, and on my own experience of cutting costs without compromising quality. This isn’t legal or financial advice, and sometimes the right course of action is to cut back.