Many people believe that once they have created and built a website, they are finished. Websites, on the other hand, require ongoing maintenance and redesign. A website should load and display content properly as a bare minimum, but to ensure positive user interactions, it should present information clearly and in an engaging manner. In this age of instant gratification, it’s critical that your website be current, not only in terms of appearance but also in terms of functioning.
While consumers may not notice if your website is up to date with the current web design trends, they will notice if it is sluggish, stale, or relies on old technologies. Clients aren’t the only ones who will notice if you need an update; many of the same factors that turn off potential customers can also hurt your search engine results, making establishing a business much more difficult.
Not sure if it’s time to rebuild your website? The SEO Chick explains how to tell if your website needs to be redesigned.
1. It Takes a Long Time for Your Website to Load
When your website takes a long time to load, it’s one of the most obvious signals that you need a new one. People no longer have to wait for slow pages due to the quantity of competition and information available. A user’s tolerance for page load times is roughly 1.0 seconds, and anything over 2.0 seconds causes them to abandon the page. To make matters worse, Google considers page load speed when ranking pages, so if yours is slow, you’ll be ranked lower on search engine result pages (SERPs).
You can examine how your website is performing and gain the insight you need to decide if it’s time for a website redesign by using Google’s PageSpeed Insights test. Make sure to test it on both computers and mobile devices to ensure that your site loads swiftly on a variety of devices.
2. Your website is difficult to navigate on mobile devices.
When was the last time you used your smartphone or tablet to browse your website? The majority of browsing is done on mobile devices, and mobile functionality, like page load times, is a key ranking feature in search results. You’re losing business and visibility if your website isn’t mobile-friendly.
Take a look at how photos appear on a smartphone screen, if they’re easy to see, and whether buttons and navigation are obvious and user-friendly. Is it simple for visitors to fill out a contact form or make a purchase? Next, check your website analytics to see what percentage of your visitors are using a mobile device. If it’s less than 50%, it’s possible that your site is difficult to navigate. A mobile-first website makeover could be the key to increasing leads and giving your company a new lease on life.
3. Your visitors don’t spend much time on your website.
Check your bounce rate in your analytics, whether you utilize Google Analytics or other tracking tools. This metric depicts how frequently visitors abandon your site after only seeing one page. After that, have a look at the average number of pages visited every session.
A bounce rate of more than 70% indicates that your site isn’t attracting users to stay on the page and look for more information or travel to other pages. In the same way, average page visits are based on it. Redesigning your website with better navigation, user-friendly features, and more up-to-date aesthetics can reduce bounce rates, increase pages per session, and increase time spent on site, all of which increase conversion chances.
4. Finding what people are looking for is difficult.
A website’s speed and efficiency are critical. Visitors want to get what they’re searching for quickly and with as few steps as possible, much like load times are important for UX (users experience). They’re likely to leave and go to a rival if they can’t locate what they’re looking for or the conversion process needs numerous steps. Users should be able to identify what they need in just a few clicks, then buy, subscribe, and question about it without the need for outside assistance. If your website receives a lot of traffic but few conversions, it might be time to talk to a web design business about cleaning up the design.
5. You’re Having Issues With Your Social Media Shares
Social media posts and shares account for about 26% of website traffic, with ecommerce sites accounting for even more. If you’re pulling social media postings from your website and they’re not getting any engagement, it’s a symptom that your site isn’t appealing. Images, previews, and shares must be compelling enough to “halt the scroll,” and an out-of-date website will not suffice. Update your website and promote social media involvement to attract more high-quality shares and new traffic.
6. Your company’s brand, products, or services have evolved.
This may sound self-evident, but if your company has evolved, so must your website. People come to your website to learn more about your company and discover what services you offer, what items you sell, and so on, and if it’s outdated or doesn’t include anything fresh, you’ll lose sales and conversions. Any new or updated items or services will be available and visible after a redesign, and if you’ve rebranded, it will be reflected as well.
7. Your Competitors’ Websites Have Been Redesigned
Take a few moments to look at the competitors and see how your site compares.
If theirs is fast, modern, and up to date, it may be time for you to redesign yours as well. This isn’t to say that you should duplicate what a rival is doing; your website should be distinctive to you, but it should demonstrate that you’re keeping up with web design and industry trends.
8. Your website isn’t bringing in any revenue.
This is the most important factor to consider when considering whether or not it’s time for a new website. Your website has the potential to be a valuable digital marketing tool for generating brand awareness and expanding your consumer base. If your website isn’t generating conversions, leads, or sales, it’s either because of low search engine traffic or because people aren’t converting once they arrive. Either of these is a sign that your present website isn’t serving you well.
Your company’s success depends on having a good website.
You’ll lose potential consumers and clients if your firm doesn’t have a functional and beautiful website. While cleaning up your website can help, working with a reputable web design firm to redesign a website that represents your brand, provides an amazing user experience, and is search engine optimized can completely change the way you do business and put you on a clearer path to success in the future.
Call The SEO Chick today and let’s take a look at how we can improve your website and your visitor count with SEO services as well as a website facelift.