Post-pandemic, the business world is even more online than ever before. And that means that your target audience is more likely to refer to your website before engaging or even working with you. Because of this, it helps to know more about the signs to redo your website.
But if you’re like many of the entrepreneurs we work with, you have a million tasks on your plate and your website is one of the things you don’t really want to touch.
We get it.
Even as copywriters ourselves, we struggle to find time to update our website copy. And that doesn’t even touch the design aspect of it!
Ready to boost your business’s digital marketing? Partner with a network of copywriters and other creatives to get started.
7 Clear Signs To Redo Your Website In 2023 To Keep Up With The Digital Landscape
We asked a few of our website designers and developer partners for the signs to redo your website and why it matters. Does your business’s website fall into any of these reasons?
1. Your Website Isn’t Aesthetic OR Mobile Compatible
Kyle Griffin of Creative Heights Agency said that aesthetics is a big reason to redo your website. It should fall in line with your current brand and where you want to take your business. If it doesn’t, this is a big signpost that you may need to refresh an outdated theme on your website.
Griffin also mentioned that if your website “isn’t properly optimized for mobile, you should definitely redo it. Over 60% of searches are made from phones and if your site is hard to use on mobile, people will likely leave.”
Haley Ryan of Mac Ryan Creative Studio reiterated the importance of a mobile-friendly design. All design needs to be optimized for multiple devices (i.e. desktop, tablet, and mobile). Why? You don’t want your users or potential customers to waste their time zooming in and out to navigate your website. Again, the more time it takes a user to find what they’re looking for, the more likely they are to bounce from your website to a competitor’s.
2. You Lack Traffic & Conversions
In addition, you may have noticed a lack of organic traffic to or even conversions from your website. Griffin provided a couple of reasons why this may be:
- Outdated web technologies. Search engines want to rank sites that are using the latest and greatest technologies. You don’t see many websites using Flash anymore, and that’s for a good reason.
- Inaccurate or outdated web copy. Google’s goal is to provide its users with the most up-to-date relevant content available. If your website’s content does not offer any valuable information, it’s less likely to appear early on in search results.
- Broken links. Think about the user experience and make sure that you’re walking your potential customers through an undisrupted path. Finding information about you and your business should be an easy and smooth experience. Of any signs to redo your website, a single broken link is something you want to address as soon as possible.
3. You Avoid Updating Your Website Because It’s Frustrating & Difficult
We hear ya! Updating your website takes time and energy that you don’t feel you have. Having an outdated theme on your website makes updating incredibly frustrating and difficult. Whether your theme has reached its end of life or the other web technologies has made it impossible for you to receive updates, it puts your website in a position of perpetual ineffectuality.
An attractive and comprehensive website takes time and skills to build properly. And many entrepreneurs feel helpless when it comes to updating their websites for this reason. However, using a creative team with a proven process for updating websites has the potential to return $100 for every $1 you spend!
Ready to jump on the chance to start seeing more profitable opportunities? Let’s talk about your business’s growth goals.
4. You Have BIG Plans For Your Marketing
As the new year gets closer, marketing plans are being strategized. Maybe you currently have a landing page or single-page site and you’re ready to expand. This is a great opportunity for you to make your website look, say, and perform just the way you want it.
Ryan also mentioned that “you have long-term goals that require more processes baked into your website.” A good designer will help you strategize a site that actually works for you rather than sit as a pretty brochure.
5. Your Website Takes Forever To Load
Another good indicator that it’s time to redo your website is if your website takes forever to load. Kirstin Russ from Mountains to Sea Media reiterates this point:
“Your website should load in under 1 second for an informational site and under 2 seconds for an eCommerce site. As consumers, we want everything instantly and have no patience for slow loading sites, so we just move on. Every time someone bounces from your website, you lose that immediate potential for a new client and likely long-term potential if they never return.”
So what happens when you have a slow load speed?
- 32.3% of site visitors bounce when the page speed is 7 seconds (compared to 9.6% when the page speed is 2 seconds) (Section.io)
- Site visitors will visit an average of 5.6 pages more when load time is 2 seconds rather than 8 seconds (Section.io)
6. You’re Experiencing Security Issues
Wehther it’s a hack, unsecure, or just looks sketchy, your audience will take notice and avoid, avoid, avoid. Especially if you take personal or credit card information online, your attention to security is imperative for your business’s reputation.
Let’s say you click on a website warning you to return to the previous page because of a security issue. Do you feel…
- Comfortable giving credit or debit card numbers to make a purchase?
- Confident that your personal information is safe?
- Certain you won’t fall victim to an online security breach?
…Or do you continue past the warning and take the risk?
A few customers might choose the latter but many will simply leave your website and find a safer one to visit.
7. Your Brand Has Changed
Brands change over time – either out of market necessity or simply because the business is changing. Ryan advises that when “you have a bigger story to tell vs claiming a domain on the internet just to require a person to reach out”, you need to investigate a complete overhaul of your site. As a branding expert, both the design and copy are imperative to providing a better (potential) client or customer experience.
Brew Up Business With The Best Digital Marketing Baristas At Your Side
Did any or all of these resonate with you as a business owner?
Yes, updating your business’s website can be overwhelming. This is exactly why various creative industries thrive! From copywriting, graphic design, website development, and beyond, you don’t have to do it alone. And we wouldn’t let you anyway! Schedule a discovery call with us to get started.
