You’re probably not wearing the same business suit as you were 5 years ago, so why are you using the same website? When it comes to your online presence, appearances do matter, and in many cases, your website is the first impression many potential customers will get of your business. As a web designer, nothing makes me cringe more than a clunky old website with outdated design and information. It doesn’t take long for my cursor to hit the ‘close’ button.
If you’re noticing less traffic to your site or a high bounce rate, your website design could be part of the problem. Here are six signs your website needs a makeover.
1. Your Site is Not Performing Well
Website performance indicators like bounce rate, broken links, fast click through rate, and overall traffic can signify that your site is overdue for an update. When visitors don’t like the format, design, or appearance of a site, it shows in the way they interact with the site. If your site design is turning visitors off, then you’re also losing customers. Update your site to restore user-friendliness and boost your site’s performance.
2. Your Site Has Reached Its Use By Date
Had the same website since 2005 but figure it’s still okay? Guess again. Even a site that has all the right information can be let down by outdated design. Certain trends that have now gone out of fashion can really date your site as well. Updating your site purely for aesthetic reasons is actually an excellent investment in your business. Staying up to date with the latest trends ensures your site always looks awesome and is a place visitors want to stay and learn more about what you do.
3. Your Competitors Have Redesigned
You might think an updated website isn’t important for your industry, so why bother? But chances are your closest competitors are already optimizing their digital marketing and web design, and you need to update to keep up too. Not to say that all your business decisions should be about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, but if your competitors have a better looking, more informative, and optimized site, how are you going to stand out in a market that increasingly searches for goods and services online? If your competitors are updating and you haven’t, it could be a sign that now is a great time for you to take the leap.
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4. Your Website Doesn’t Work on Mobile Devices
Did you know that according to Google, 60% of search queries come from mobile devices? If your customers look for your company on a mobile device, and your site doesn’t work on their device, you’re going to lose potential customers straight away. Most new web design is inherently responsive, so you’ll get a website that works on any size screen or device.
5. Your Website is Sooooooo Slooooooow
How many times have you just given up and closed a page because it took too long to load? If customers are complaining of slow load speeds or you’ve noticed it yourself, it could be due to outdated site elements like image optimization, hosting plan, optimization of your JS and CSS files, caching, and unnecessary components. A fresh redesign will result in a faster, more appealing website.
6. You Need A Fresh Look/Rebrand
Sometimes you just need an update on the overall look and branding of your business. This is the ideal time for a website redesign, as you clarify your branding goals and the image you want to send out to the world. A redesign is ideal as your business grows and you want to improve your appearance of professionalism and success.
A poorly designed website can really let your company down. But if you’ve noticed any of these six signs plaguing your website, a fresh redesign can bring you better performance, improved branding, and a boost to your business.
