How do you know it’s time to give your website a makeover?
You might think your website is doing just fine. It looks okay, your company information hasn’t really changed, and it’s still loading when people visit your URL.
But that’s not really good enough. You need a website that works for you – that means more than just presenting your info in an outdated design. A website that works provides great services for your existing clients and converts casual visitors into interested, committed new customers.
If your website has these issues, then it’s time to book a redesign.
1. You Don’t Have a Clear Call To Action
Visitors to your website need to be told what you want them to DO.
Do you want them to book a call with you? Purchase a product? Visit your offices?
Make that clear with your messaging. Make it easy by putting a nice big button near the top of every page. Make it simple by removing clutter like big busy menus that offer too many options, muddling the choice.
2. Your Site Isn’t Mobile Friendly
Did you know that more than 50% of all internet browsing is now done on mobile devices like phones and tablets?
If your site isn’t putting its best foot forward for mobile viewers, you’re already losing half your audience. Plus, Google gives preference to mobile-first websites – those that are designed with mobile viewing in mind – so ignoring mobile design could hurt your search engine listings.
Making your site mobile friendly means that your design shifts and adapts for all screen sizes so that all information is accessible and readable. It also means limiting your content to the bare necessities – no one on mobile wants to wait for an image-heavy slider to load, which may cost them data dollars as well as time.
3. Your Site Has Poor SEO
Wonder why you can’t find your company’s website in Google, even when you’re searching for it by name?
It could be that your site isn’t set up properly for search engine optimization (SEO). If your site is on a free platform, like Wix or Weebly, chances are good that your site has NO SEO configuration at all.
Even if you’re on WordPress – which comes with some great SEO features built in and works well to keep Google updated – you can do more to tweak your listings and up your search engine rankings. If you’re looking to find new customers, this could be a great reason to start with a website redesign.
4. Your Site Isn’t Secure
There’s a few simple things you can do to protect your website from hackers:
- install and use an SSL certificate
- install and use a firewall
- install and use spam software
- make regular backups to an offsite location
If your website doesn’t do all of these, you’re in a vulnerable position – and the danger increases if you’re not keeping your website software up to date.
5. You Can’t Update Your Site Yourself
Has it been ages since you added anything new to your website? Do you wish you could notify website visitors of current events like sales or new products, but making changes to your site seems like too much of a bother?
That’s not how things should be. A well-designed website should help you keep it updated with user-friendly back-end interfaces and layouts that are separate from the content.
We always want you to feel comfortable editing and working with your website yourself – it’s one of our core values. If you can’t update your site without paying a designer for their time, and waiting for a slot in their schedule, then it’s time to consider revamping your site.
6. Your Site Uses Outdated Technology
Sure, creating your site in Dreamweaver and uploading pure HTML files to the internet worked well in the late 1990s. But that kind of technology is not only obsolete, but will give your site a dated look that marks your company as being behind the times. Exciting new colours, layouts, and effects are available when you move to a more modern platform.
But even if you’re on WordPress or another content management system already, software can get outdated. If your website is several years old, chances are good it is using plugins or themes that are out of date or even worse, contain security holes.
A website isn’t a “design it once, use it forever” kind of thing. You want to show your customers that you’re keeping up with the times with a secure site that looks modern and uses modern tech.
7. New Functionality Would Keep Customers Engaged
Most businesses start with a website that tells their story through static pages. They’ll add an About page and a Contact page, and a page outlining their services. Perhaps they’ll blog too, to offer their customers current information about their products.
But when it comes to your website, feel free to dream big. What would be the ideal customer experience for your site?
Would it be the ability to buy your packages, services, or books online?
Would it be the ability to schedule meetings with you, or sign up for classes?
Would it be the ability to donate to your cause, or sign up to volunteer?
Adding automated functionality like this can allow your customers to interact with you and your business – all without your manual intervention. You can give your clients the power to serve themselves without creating extra work for yourself.
And we promise – it’s not too good to be true, but quite possible – all with a friendly back-end interface that will allow you to manage things on your own.
Convinced that it’s time?
Get in touch with us today for an analysis of your current site and a quote for the site of your dreams.
