Technical Debt in the website project What is it and how to deal with it?

Have you ever felt ... that your website is "sick" without knowing?

Have you ever been? The website that had been launched beautifully last year, active, clicking anywhere, flowing ... come today, "sluggish" is a salt boat. Download each page slowly until the customer escaped. How to add new features The development team said that "difficult to do" or "must be dismantled." Found a strange bake. Solve there to appear here. Create a headache endlessly ... If you are nodding. Shows that your website may be carrying a "big debt" that is invisible But has a huge impact This debt is called "Technical Debt" or "technical debt".

It is a quiet problem that bite the potential of your website little by little. Resulting in higher care costs And the worst is It is still holding the growth of your business without even knowing it.

- Prompt for illustrations: Infographic images, compare both sides The left side is a bright website. There is a rocket icon showing speed. With a smiling face of the right side of the right side of the same website but looks old There is a wrapped chain around. There is a turtle icon showing slowly. And the sullen face of the user with the word "before" and "after" Technical Debt -

Why "technical debt" can happen to our website?

Imagine easy "technical debt" is no different from "Financial debt" that we are familiar with When we need urgent money We may choose "informal loans" or "Swipe the Credit Card" first to solve the problem. Which can really help, but exchanged with the "interest" that must be returned in the future

In the development of the website as well When we encounter various limitations Whether ...

• Tight Deadlines: "Let's launch the campaign next month!" The development team must choose to write a shortcut code. Or use the most bad solution In order to complete the work in time
• Limited Budget: Choosing a cheap plug -in (or free) that is not good quality. Or hiring a development team that is not experienced enough May result in a unhealthy web structure from the beginning
• Changing Requirements: "I would like to solve this button." Is like the addition of a house without architects Finally, the structure may have a problem.
• Outdated Technology: refusing to update the version of CMS, Theme, or Plugins, resulting in safety and not full performance.

These "shortcuts" selection are "technical" debt. We got "speed" in the launch of the web, but we have to "pay back" in the form of time and costs that are higher in fixing and maintaining in the future. Which is a concept that experts like Martin Fowler have explained in Technical Debt Quadrant that some debts are intentional and reasonable. But something is caused by negligence. Regardless of what kind Finally, have to come back to "pay" anyway.

- Prompt for illustrations: Cartoon images With a 2 -way sign indicating a simple way, writing "correct way (takes time)" in another way is a rough shortcut with a pothoch, writing "shortcuts (finished quickly)" with a car turning to the shortcut

If releasing this "debt" ... How serious will it affect?

Ignoring the Technical Debt is like allowing the interest to be complied with the flowers. In the beginning, it may not be seen much. But over time These effects will be clearer and shocking:

• The website is noticeably slower: non -effective code. The database is too complicated. Causing the website to load slowly Which directly affects The experience of the user (UX) is worse and causing the SEO rank to fall because Google doesn't like the slow website.
• Higher Maintenance Costs: Bugs or small updates take longer than it should be. Because the development team has to waste time understanding the "mess" code and complex or must solve the problems caused by the conflicting work of various plugs.
• Difficult to add new features: non -flexible web structure Makes adding new functions It is almost impossible. Or if possible, it may cause other parts Of the web collapsed Became a difficult decision when choosing to develop for the future and all new platforms E-Commerce repold project
• Safety risks: The use of software or plug -in No update Is to open the door to welcome hackers to attack your website more easily
• Developer Frustration: No one wants to work with a system that is ready to break all the time. Having to face the same problems repeatedly makes the good development team. Out of fire and may decide to resign Which makes the cost of finding new people and tutoring even higher

In the end, the "debt" that we accumulate will become a "wall" that obstructs your business to walk forward as it should be.

- Prompt for illustrations: The graph of the x core is "time" and the Y core is "cost" with two graph lines. Green line name "The cost that should be" running parallel to the x axis at a low level and the red line named "The actual cost (because Technical Debt)" rises continuously according to time -

How to manage the "technical debt" that works and should start?

The good news is Technical Debt, not the end. It is something that can be managed if we start correctly. The key is to accept that "Real debt" and start planning to "pay debt" systematically.

Technical debt management steps:

1. Explore and evaluate the debt (Audit & ACKNOWLEDGE): The first step is to talk to your development team openly. Allow them to specify all the "debt" points in the system. Create a "Debt Log" or technical liabilities. Which may also give the violence score of each item as well
2. Prioritize debt payment (Prioritize): Not every debt that must be paid We have to choose whether to "pay" which debt first. By considering:
   • Impact on users and businesses: debt that causes the web slow, affecting the payment page, or affecting the conversion should be prioritized.
   • Easy to fix: Sometimes the small debt that is done quickly (Quick Wins) helps to increase the encouragement for the team.
3. Create a Repayment Plan: Clear policies in debt management, such as "in every SPRINT, we will divide the 20% of the development team for clearing Technical Debt." This will continue to reduce debt without affecting all new feature development.
4. Prevent new debt (Prevention): Create Coding Standards, Code Review (for the people in the team to help check the code) and write automatic tests to ensure that new quality work is quality and not creating additional debt in the future. Deep understanding will help the team see the importance of preventing this problem early.

The decision to deal with the debt is suitable for the platform. It is also important because the total cost of ownership of each platform Is different according to the characteristics of the Technical Debt that may occur

-Prompt for illustrations: White board images that have brainstorming post -it note are divided into 4 channels according to Technical Debt Quadrant (Reckless/Prudent VS Deliber Tent/Inadvert) to show the assessment and priority of debt-

Examples from the real thing: when the E-Commerce website "release debt" until sales

Imagine There is a online store built on WooCommerce, which used to sell very well. But after 3 years, the shop started to encounter a big problem: the webpage loaded very slowly. Especially the product pages that have a lot of pictures, the payment process is often free or エ ラ ー often, and the marketing team cannot add new promotions immediately because they have to wait for the development team to edit the complex code every time.

Problems encountered: They accumulate "technical debt" from too much plug -in without checking the quality of the theme without creating the Child Theme, resulting in all the updates that have been resolved, and the database is full of old information. That never washed Causing everything to be too slow

The mission of "debt release": The shop owner decided to invest in making Website Renovation , starting with the entire Audit system. They withdraw unnecessary plug -in, switch to high quality plugs that work more, allowing the development team to refactor, all new code, operating the database and moving to higher efficiency.

Amazing results: within 2 months after the big "debt". Their website returned as fast as the first day of the Page Load Time, more than 60%of the check out, the checkout is completely lost, and the marketing team can create new campaigns. Quickly, the result is that the conversion rate increases by 35% and the total sales grow in leaps. Which has not yet increased the advertising budget at all This is the power of the Technical Debt management seriously.

-Prompt for illustrations: Dashboard's Before & After online shop showing a stable sales graph and a low conversion rate. The After-side of the sales of the higher sales and the conversion rate numbers are clearly increasing-

Simple checklist for "health check", your website. (Can be used immediately)

You don't have to be a programmer, you can start "health check", the website and look for the "sign" of Technical Debt. Try using this checklist to talk to your team.

• [] Easy or difficult update ?: Ask the development team that "CMS, Theme, or Plugins version updates on our website now. Easy to do just one click Or is it scary and has to prepare a lot? "If the answer is like the latter That is a large debt signal.
• [] What is the speed of webpage loading ?: Use tools like Google Pagespeed Insights. Test your web speed. If the score is much lower than the criteria Especially on mobile That is a clear symptom.
• [] Setting a small bug How long does it take?: Try to ask the team, "If you find a simple bug, such as the wrong message or color button color. We spent a few minutes fixing. Or an hour/is it a day? "
• [] The feeling of the development team: Try asking the open question with the team that "If giving a simple score in taking care and developing this website, how much will it give? And what is the thing that makes you feel frustrated the most when working with this website? "The answer is a treasure, information about Technical Debt.
• [] Is there a plan to move the web?: If your team has a discussion "Web moving" or "new websites" may be because the "debt" on the current website is too high to fix, then preparation for checklist for moving the website early may be the best solution.

Beginning to ask these questions Is the first step that is most important to accept and prepare to deal with technical debt

- Prompt for illustrations: Checklist images with questions above With each component icon such as icons updates, timbeats, frowning icons, programmers, rocket icons -

Questions that people tend to suspect (FAQ) about "technical debt"

Q1: Technical Debt everything is bad and must be eliminated, right?

A: Not always. Technical debt some types (known as Prudent & Deliberate Debt) may be a strategic option that is essential, such as the launch of the MVP (Minimum VIALDUCT) to test the market first. By accepting that the code may not be the most complete But there are plans to come back to fix later The key is to "realize" that is creating debt and has a clear "repayment plan".

Q2: How can we avoid creating Technical Debt in the new project?

A: Avoid 100% may not be possible. But we can reduce the amount a lot by: Plan a project well, give reasonable time and budget, choose a quality development team, create a Code Review culture and write test, and choose technology that is suitable for the long -term goals of the project.

Q3: I'm not a programmer. How do you know that the team is creating a technical debt?

A: Observe from "results". For example, if the team tends to assess the work longer than it should be for a simple job, if the website starts slower, or if the team says "can't do" or "difficult to do" with simple requests, this can be a signal. Regular communication is the best.

Q4: Investment "Payment of technical debt" is it really worth it? It seems like using money without a new feature.

A: Worth the long -term for sure. It is an investment for "speed" and "agility" in the future. May not have a new feature yet But it will make the development of 10 new features in the future "faster" "cheaper" and "more quality", which will result in your business growing farther than competitors that are still attached to their own debt.

- Prompt for illustrations: Image icon, a large question mark (?) In the middle and a small group of people. Stood and talked around To convey the questions-answering questions-

Summary: Do not let "invisible debt" to farewell to your website.

At this point, we have already seen the same images that "Technical Debt" or "technical debt" is not just a headache technical terminology for programmers, but it is a "health indicator". The most important business is "hidden costs" that can make your website, which is the most important money tool. Became a delay of prosperity slowly

Ignoring this debt Is like driving without ever entering the check center In the end, he had to pay a big repair on the day it was broken in the way. But on the other hand, acceptance, planning, and allocation of resources to "pay debt" regularly Is the smartest investment for the future of your website and business It will enable you to develop, change, and grow streamlined and sustainable.

It's time ... to turn back to explore the "health" of your website seriously. Try to start with the simple checklist that we have provided and open your heart to talk to your team. Don't wait for the "interest" of technical debt. Acting from today Is to build a strong foundation for success next day!

If you feel that your website is carrying too much debt than to handle itself and wanting a "expert team" to help "check the health" and "improve the structure", consult our Website Renovation team. We are ready to help you release the debt and return the speed to your website again!

- Prompt for illustrations: inspiring images Show the road that stretches forward brightly. With a website that looks modern and working quickly, running on that road Conveys a debt -free future and ready to grow -

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