Content decay: why websites lose value after launch

In a recent CMSWire editorial, Lawrence Shaw, CEO of AAAtraq, explores a problem most digital teams recognize but rarely quantify: content decay. Without ongoing maintenance, websites slowly lose integrity, performance, and trust as outdated pages, broken links, inaccessible content and structural issues accumulate in the background.

This erosion doesn’t happen overnight. It builds quietly, often without a clear owner, gradually undermining conversions, search visibility and compliance. Yet content maintenance is still widely treated as an administrative task rather than what it truly is: a commercial issue tied directly to ROI.

Shaw states, “The quality of website content is a commercial problem. Out-of-date pages, broken links, 404 messages and more gets in the way of conversions, undermines customer trust, impacts brand visibility and presents a compliance risk.”

Why content maintenance is a commercial issue

Shaw goes on to argue that websites are at their peak value on launch day. From that point on, every content change, new page and missed review introduces risk unless there is systematic monitoring and action. Over time, this can lead to hidden digital estates of forgotten, expired or non-compliant content that damage both brand credibility and commercial performance.

The article also highlights a missed opportunity for digital agencies. Many experience a “post-launch silence” after delivering a successful website, despite clients continuing to struggle with content quality, compliance and structure. Ongoing content maintenance provides a practical way to protect website value while creating sustainable, long-term agency revenue.

As Shaw explains, this work is often misunderstood as low-value administration when it is anything but: “Content maintenance is better defined as the discipline of protecting revenue, reducing exposure and preserving brand credibility across digital assets.”

Content maintenance, as defined in the editorial, goes far beyond “housekeeping”. It spans experience, SEO, integrity, accessibility, privacy and environmental efficiency, all of which directly influence trust, discoverability and risk.

As AI, generative search and regulatory scrutiny reshape the digital landscape, the message is clear: without continuous content maintenance, website value quietly disappears.

What you should do now

Read the full CMSWire editorial: Your Website Starts Losing Value the Day After Launch, to explore Shaw's argument in more depth.

https://www.cmswire.com/digital-experience/your-website-starts-losing-value-the-day-after-launch/

Test your website for free today at https://aaatraq.com/confirm/ (opens in a new window) to identify content, accessibility and compliance issues before they erode trust and performance.