Knowing when it’s time for a new website isn’t always clear. It’s a significant investment in time, resources, and money, and can cause analysis paralysis pretty quickly. But there are some telltale signs that it might be time for a refresh. Here are 10 signs your website is outdated.
Your Website is Old
Your website is old. It might not look it, but it’s probably using technology that’s several years out of date. Worse, your website might not be taking advantage of new web capabilities that can help you reach more customers and grow your business.
A redesign by a professional website design company can fix all that. A structure change can give you a fresh start with a new look and new web capabilities. You’ll have a website that looks great and works even better, reaching more potential customers than ever before.
Your Website is Not Showing Up in Search Results
If your website is not appearing in the search engine results pages (SERPs), you may need to improve your site’s search engine optimization (SEO). In order for your website to rank high in the SERPs, it must be search engine optimized. There are a number of best practices you can follow to optimize your website for the search engines.
Sometimes the juice isn’t worth the squeeze as there can be so many technical SEO (Search Engine Optimization) issues with a site that it takes more time to fix them all than it does to just build a new site. Also, SEO is ever-changing as search engines change their requirements to rank highly in SERPs.
Your Website is Not Mobile-Friendly
Over half of online traffic originates from mobile devices. You may be losing potential customers if your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices. A responsive website, meaning a site that adapts to different screen sizes, ensures that your customers can find the relevant information they are looking for regardless of the device they are using. If your site isn’t already accessible across multiple devices, consider updating it.
It is Time-Consuming to Make Small Content Changes
There is often a disconnect between the website technology that people are used to and the most efficient technology for their team and workflows. If you are spending considerable time and energy trying to make a simple content change, you might be using the wrong tool. A proper CMS (Content Management System) implementation can often be more efficient and tailored to your specific needs making content changes no more difficult than using a word processing software.
As a business owner, you know that your marketing strategy is constantly growing and evolving. That means the messaging on your website needs to stay current. It’s important that you review your website content on a regular basis to make sure it accurately reflects your current products and services.
If you don’t update your website regularly, you could end up with outdated information that confuses or scares off potential customers. The good news is that making small changes to your content can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Your Website Takes Too Long to Load
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t have the time to sit around and wait for a website to load. In fact, research shows that 47 percent of people expect a web page to load in two seconds or less. So what do you do if your website is loading slow?
One option is to use Google PageSpeed Insights. This tool will help you identify the areas of your website that need improvement so that your pages can load faster. You can then use this information to make the necessary changes.
Some common causes of slow page loading speeds include large images and videos, excessive scripts and code, and too many redirects. If you’re using a content management system (CMS), be sure to optimize it for speed. And finally, always test your changes before going live.
Your Website is Difficult to Navigate
It’s no secret that a well-designed website can help your business succeed. However, if your website is difficult to navigate, it can actually have the opposite effect. In fact, according to a study by Time, users will leave a website after just 15 seconds if they can’t find what they’re looking for.
This is why it’s important to focus on the user experience (UX) when designing your website. One of the best ways to do this is by creating an information hierarchy. This means organizing your content in a way that makes it easy for users to find what they’re looking for.
Your Website No Longer Fits Your Brand
Brands change over time. Websites should too! When you first created your website, it may have been the perfect representation of your brand. However, as your company grows and changes, so should your website. A website is a reflection of a company’s brand. It is the online face of your business. If it doesn’t properly reflect who you are now, then it’s time for a rebranding.
Just like when you change the look and feel of your physical office, you need to update your website to match your current branding. This includes the colors, fonts, images, and overall style.
Your website is often the first impression someone has of your company. Make sure it’s a good one!
Your Website No Longer Stacks Up Against Your Competition
Are your competitors doing a better job of selling their brand than you are at selling yours? If so, how do you think that impacts your website results? If your competition’s sites look even 25% better than yours, what does this tell your potential customers?
It is important to put your best foot forward when potential customers have their first interactions with your brand. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. It is important to benchmark your site against your competition to see how you stack up. If they are crushing you, your site is outdated.
Functionality is Limited
If your website is not meeting the needs of your business, it might be time for a new website. A new website will offer improved functionality and capabilities that can help you reach your business goals.
A website should be easy to use and provide the functionality needed to accomplish your business goals. If your website is outdated or does not have the features you need, it is time for an upgrade.
A new website can provide a better user experience, increased functionality, and a more modern look and feel. It can also help you reach more customers and improve your bottom line.
You’re Not Getting The Results You Expect
When you’re creating content for your site, you work hard to convert that traffic into paying customers. If your web analytics are showing high bounce rates or user departure rates, it could be a sign that you should redesign your site. A website redesign should be focused on your established goals.
If you are not getting the results you expect from your website, let the professional Digital Marketing experts at Webramp Digital review your current online presence and find ways we can help you take your results where you want them to go. Contact us today for more info!
