Last week, we discussed five warning signs of an ineffective website that could be costing your business time and money, not to mention potential customers. Consider your website as a salesperson that is accessible 24/7. More often than not, your website will be the first experience that a potential customer has with your business. Why not make that experience a positive one? The need for a well-designed and highly functioning website will only increase. The following five signs are further indication that your business probably needs a new website.
Your business needs a new website if…
1. Your website is slow.
According to KISSmetrics, almost 50% of website users expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less. In fact, the majority of users leave a website at the 3 second mark, and each subsequent second will result in more lost visitors. If your website is found to be customarily slow, previous website visitors are unlikely to return. Not only does slow site speed irritate website visitors, but it can also negatively impact your search engine ranking. Provide a seamless website experience for your existing and prospective customers by upgrading your site speed.
- Are your website images properly optimized?
- Is your website using Flash? (see part 1)
- Are you using a capable web hosting provider?
Tip: Check your website speed with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.
2. You have not updated your website in several years.
Just as your business grows and expands, your website will need to evolve to reflect the newest changes to the brand and utilize the latest technological advances in web design and functionality. Today’s rapidly changing technology means that leaving your website unattended can result in websites that display poorly on newly updated browsers and devices. Your website should be showcasing the new products and services your business offers, with regular updates to keep it fresh, relevant, and current.
- Do you make use of your website’s blog?
- Are there any non-functioning buttons or links on your website?
- How often do you visit your own website?
Tip: Hackers tend to target websites that are not updated regularly, and thus have outdated security features. If your website has not seen any form of development for more than a few months, it will become far easier to penetrate and will most certainly become a hacking target. Make sure that your website’s security-related protocols, platform, and plugins are continually updated to help safeguard against malicious hacking attempts.
3. Your website looks outdated.
Your website is your business’ digital storefront, and can help to build or destroy your credibility. Just as you might carefully maintain a physical business location to attract customers, a good website will encourage viewers to stick around. According to a study by ResearchGate, 94% of people view well-designed websites as more trustworthy. Conversely, a cluttered website that is slow to load, visually unappealing, or confusing to navigate, may discourage potential customers.
Unlike the previous warning sign, perhaps your website’s problem is too many updates. If your homepage is getting a little crowded with additional content, users will have a harder time navigating to the important information. Today’s well-designed websites feature clean designs, targeted content, and easy navigation.
- Is your copyright info up-to-date?
- Is the majority of your website’s content contained within images?
- Is your website cluttered with multiple images, inconsistent font styles, and elements?
Tip: In this day and age, a business with a strategic approach to social media has a competitive edge. Your website should be linking to your social media sites to facilitate communication with your customers.
4. Your brand message or image has changed.
Businesses today are characterized by change. A website that worked well for your business last week may no longer be consistent with today’s new brand message or image. Or perhaps your business has evolved over time, gradually outgrowing your current website. In any case, website re-design can promote your business’ growth.
- Have you changed your business model?
- Does your website evoke the right emotions?
- Is the look and feel of your website compatible with your current target audience?
Tip: Does your business have a new logo and/or color scheme? Careful planning is necessary for choosing the right color scheme. Having a website with consistent visuals, including colors and typography, is a key element in improved readability and cohesiveness.
5. Your competitor’s website is better.
Viewers will tend to favor the websites that are more useful, organized, and engaging. The competition is just a click away. If you fail to capture your viewer’s attention with a dynamic website, potential customers may go elsewhere. Having a website provides an opportunity to establish your business’ presence as a market leader.
- How does your website design compare with your competitor’s?
- Are your competitors’ websites ranking higher in Google?
- What keywords are your competitors focusing on?
Tip: One feature of Google Keyword Planner is its ability to find competitor keyword data and monitor both your own website as well as those of your competitors.
Contact WSI Philadelphia For A New and Improved Website
Having a strong online presence is no longer optional. Investing in a website redesign or rebuild with us can help your business to gain more leads, traffic, and even sales! If your website is lackluster, unoptimized, and/or outdated, contact us today at (610)650-0227. One of our WSI Internet Marketing Consultants will provide a variety of solutions to rejuvenate your website.