Consider how quickly fashion trends change or electrical gadgets get updated. The same is for your website. Although your websites might be tweaked throughout the years, you might quickly find yourself with a website that no longer functions or represents you.
It is vital to review your site and determine what is still relevant to your brand's message and customer’s needs.
Taking the plunge can be daunting. That is why we have listed the signs and benefits of a new website.
1. Your website does't reflect the brand
A brand's products and messages evolve, but has the website developed with it? First impressions can make or break the chances of a customer purchasing from you.
Make sure you are remembered for having a well-designed site that aligns with your message, branding and speaks to your customer’s pain points as they do today. If there is a disconnect between brand and values and your website. It is time to update your website.
2. High bounce rate
Bounce rate is the % of visitors who stay only on the page they have landed on without interacting with the website. This happens when your audience cannot find what they wanted or found your website too slow/difficult to use. If your bounce rate is consistently over 70-90%, it is time to review your site.
3. Page loading speed is too slow
When it comes to loading pages, audiences have very low patience. They have become accustomed to near-instant content. Unfortunately, excessive loading times contribute to a high bounce rate. Loading times are so significant that Google prioritises loading speeds when determining a website’s search ranking. This can be significant since up to 98% of organic traffic will come from search engines. Loading times can be affected by too many or too large elements on the webpage. Prioritise what is essential and remove anything else.
4. Poor conversion rates
If your website is not producing enough leads or conversations, you likely need to update your site. An outdated or slow website can contribute to a poor conversion rate. This will directly affect your bottom line.
5. You cannot update content yourself
Relying on a web developer to make changes every time you want to edit content or do other simple tasks; is likely wasting your time and money. This is not how the relationship with your website developer should be. Try a content management system (CMS) platform to take more control over editing your website without learning to code. It is worth asking your website developer if they have a more user friendly behind the screen system for you to use. Additional training could also help you.
6. Poor UX (User experience)
UX is one of the most influential factors to achieve a successful website. You would be shocked how often this is overlooked. This particular problem can happen more with companies that have gone for a template or theme for the base of their website. When the system and structure are pre-set from the outset, it is easy for UX to get overlooked. On the other hand, bespoke websites tend to focus more on UX, as it forms the backbone of the sitemap and website structure around the brand's audience and their specific needs.
7. You are not using inbound marketing
If a site contains only primary information, then it will not educate or inform your audience. You will be missing out on building trust and being able to guide your customer towards a purchase. Without educational convocation starters (e.g., blogs, articles), you will struggle to meet your business goals.
If you are asking yourself, ‘what does my website even do for me?’. There is a good chance your website is no longer functional and needs upgrading.
8. You have a poor website navigation
The temptation to provide as many options as possible for users is hard to overcome. However, doing so can overwhelm your visitors and create a negative experience.
As websites tend to be cobbled together over several years, it can be common for the site to become clunky and confusing. When visitors come to a site, they should instinctively understand where to click and how to learn about a product/service. The experience should be quick and seamless.
Re-evolving your website can be challenging. If you are currently experiencing any of the issues above, we would love to hear from you. It is our job to take your website to the next level. Find out more by visiting our website or contact us here today.
