Obvious Reasons You Need a Website Redesign (But Are Still Ignoring)
A website redesign is no small task or investment, but it’s one that pays dividends in the long run. More often than not a website overhaul is just a visual re-work. Things might feel dated, out of order, or simply not come through the way you want your company to be represented. Whether we notice it or not, we’re all aging a little every day. Your website ages the same way. You don’t notice the dated styling or conventions because you see them all the time. But your visitors notice, and they make judgements about your business based on how your website looks.
A website is often the first impression potential clients see when considering working with your company. It may be time for a Website Facelift (redesign).
Your website is your 24/7 salesperson and is where your users base their first impression when they look you up online. There are several companies with a lot of potential in becoming successful, but occasionally hits a few road blocks when it comes to their online presence.
If you think that a website is a one-time investment, think again. In today’s time, web trends and personal preferences change in an instant, and business owners must know when to keep up. Your current website may still function well, but after a few years, they will certainly pass their prime.
First Impressions Matter : Great Visual Design Is Important
It takes 1/10th of a second for someone to form a first impression either of a person or a website. And it takes 50 milliseconds for users to judge whether they like or dislike a certain website or whether they’ll stay or leave. Needless to say, visual appeal counts and can sway people’s opinions drastically.
Revamping your website is a great way to boost your conversions, improve the visitor experience, and attract more customers. If you’re still not convinced that your website needs a makeover, consider the following signs as to why you should consider a website facelift.
Let’s get started:
Your Website Does Not Have a Responsive Design
Mobile optimization is no longer an option, but a MUST-HAVE essential when it comes to web design. This means that your website needs to be compatible with any mobile device.
In today’s world, people expect answers at their fingertips. They will no longer wait until they get home or when they get to the office to search for something on the internet. According to Google, more searches happen on mobile than on computers and tablets for 15 of the 24 hours in a typical day. A responsive design will allow you to accommodate all your users regardless of the platform they are using. This gives them a better and seamless experience once they visit your website.
It’s in Flash
If your website is still using Flash, then the more reason to revamp your website ASAP.
If you must know, Flash is not supported by mobiles devices like iPhone and iPad, and search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo cannot read it, which means it doesn’t work well with SEO. In order for visitors to actually see it, they still have to install a plugin, but do you really think all of them will go through all this trouble?
Low Search Engine Rankings
Search engine algorithms change over the years and if you don’t update your website every now and then, you lose your search engine ranking points (SERP), a key element that defines your ranking in Google searches. You need to apply the current SEO trends to your website and by revamping it, this will upgrade your SERP and give you a leverage against your competitors.
You’re experiencing a high bounce rate
Of all the metrics covered by Google Analytics, what we value the most is that it showcases our site’s bounce rate. This is when visitors leave your website after just viewing a page, without making any conversion. You may have observed that your web analytics show a high bounce rate and that could be a strong indicator that your visitors don’t seem to find your current site useful. Make sure to redesign your website with both your target audience and your goals in mind.
Outdated design
Web design trends are changing rapidly and what might have worked or looked good before, may not be the same anymore. Similar to the fashion industry, your website could have been wearing the trendiest outfit 5 years ago, but we all know that trends change quickly. Sure, it may still function well, but what about its appearance? If you’re not keeping up with the pace of the current trends in web page design, this may send the wrong signals that you are not being innovative and that you’re not the leading business in your industry.
Slow site speed
The site speed plays a huge factor in your digital presence. Studies say that 14% will start shopping at a different site if page loads are slow, while 23% will stop shopping at all or even walk away from their computer.
If your website is slow, it may be because it was poorly developed or that you’re using an outdated hosting platform. Users, especially nowadays, aren’t patient and they expect instantaneous results upon clicking a button. Don’t let your potential customers look elsewhere just because they didn’t have the patience to wait for your pages to load; ensure a fast-loading website that will provide a great and seamless experience for your visitors.
Outdated Content
Website makeovers not only lets you keep up with the latest trends in technology, it also gives you the chance to grow your business and update your content. Your website gives off the first impression and reflects your brand in its current state. If your content is still outdated, you may unknowingly give off a negative impression that your business is no longer active. Aside from the design of the website itself, make sure to keep up with the pace and update your content when it comes to photos, videos, and the actual web copy.
You Need to Re-align Your Website with Your Marketing Goals
As your company grows and evolves it’s not uncommon for your sales and marketing goals to also evolve. Keeping your website aligned with those goals can be a tough task, but it’s an essential piece of digital marketing success.
You Branding is Outdated
Similar to your marketing goals, your company’s branding needs to be consistent with your website. If you’ve recently undergone a rebrand, you’ll want to update your site to reflect these changes.
When updating your site keep in mind a rebrand isn’t just about your logo or colors, it also includes the content and language used on your site. You don’t want people to land on a page and think it doesn’t look or sound like it came from the same company.
You Have Outdated Third-Party Tools on Your Site
Most websites today feature third-party tools that give us the ability to add new functionality to our sites (very common on WordPress site).
Some of the popular tools include eCommerce plugins, scripts to embed social media feeds, and exit-intent popups. While these tools add value to your site, over time they can become outdated for today’s standards and end up doing more harm than good.
In Conclusion
It’s no secret design is a very important factor for the whole user website experience. High-quality visuals manifest a chain reaction for first impressions and reliability. Interpretation is key and having something aesthetically pleasing cannot help but bring people back for more! Always be the best version of yourself, even in the digital world!
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