7 Signs Its Time to Redo Your Website

1) If Your Current Website Doesn’t Represent Your Brand Well

The old saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” doesn’t apply to potential customers checking out your website. Your website may be the first [and last] impression you have on a customer. People will quickly scan your site to see if you offer what they are looking for. Having a website that is off-message is a recipe for leaving money on the table.

2) If Your Current Website Doesn’t Resonate with Your Target Audience

Does the visual design and style of your site speak to your target audience in a way that encourages them to engage with you? Your web designer should take the time to ask a lot of questions about your business and your target audience—and really let that drive the tone and style of your website.

3) If Your Current Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly

Everyone’s had the experience of visiting a website on a smartphone, and having to pinch and zoom repeatedly to see what you need. That creates a negative user experience. We can create a new site that adapts itself to the size of the device viewing, creating a better user experience for your visitors. Recent estimates state that 49% of web traffic is taking place on a mobile device, like an iPhone or iPad.

4) If Your Current Website Doesn’t Get Results

As with any other other marketing tool, your website should be designed to obtain a certain result, be it additional sales, inquiries to volunteer for a non-profit, reservations for a restaurant, etc. But often times, websites are not structured and designed to drive that result. Using smart calls-to-action, site planning, and content strategy, your website can get the results you desire. A successful designer will ask what your goals are and will work to achieve them.

It’s Features, Functions and Technology are Out of Date

Does your site still have a Flash intro? A MySpace button? Music that starts playing automatically? Closely related to looking outdated, a site that functions badly is a major turn-off. Old technologies like Flash do not display on iPhones and many other mobile devices. In addition, the content on Flash websites is not readable by Google and other search engines. Having a site that is designed to function on modern devices and leverage current technology is critical to being able to reach customers effectively.

6) If Your Current Website Is Slow to Load, or It’s Difficult to Use

Most visitors won’t wait longer than 5-7 seconds to see a homepage of a website before moving on. If your website is slow to load, you are potentially losing a lot of traffic. Sloppy build practices, bloated content, and too many images or scripts can be the cause. It’s important to test the load speed of your site and hone it to load quickly to keep visitors engaged. Your site could have great content, but if it’s difficult to navigate viewers will never see it. Smart user interface design is key for viewers to find what they are looking for and to create better engagement. Things like difficult navigation and poor site architecture mean viewers get frustrated and leave.

7) If Your Current Website Isn’t Search Engine Friendly

Today, websites live and die by how indexable they are to Google and other search engines. When a potential customer searches for the type of business or service you offer, you certainly want to be among the first listings they see. The way a website is built and managed can help or hurt how it’s ranked by Google and others. By using best practices, smart markup, and great content websites can place well ahead of competing sites.