Considering a website redesign? What’s motivating this idea? Have you grown bored with the current design, have your marketing goals and objectives changed, or maybe you’re ready to turn your site into a lead generating machine? A website is one of the most valuable and necessary marketing tools you can invest in. It should be designed with your company’s unique goals in mind by supporting
- Brand mission
- Company culture
- Quality and credibility of services or products
First impressions are everything (sometimes your website is the only interaction your target audience has with your brand) – so you could say it’s extremely important that your visitors have a great experience from the moment they land on your site all the way up to a conversion.
To help you decide if a website redesign is for you, we’ve listed 4 tell-tale signs that it’s time for an update:
#1: Your website isn’t responsive and mobile-friendly
With the staggering growth of mobile devices like smart phones and tablets and mobile device usage, it is now essential that your business website is mobile friendly, so that your clients and prospects can easily browse and find information, regardless of what type of device they are using. If visitors have a hard time viewing your website on their mobile devices, you might want to think about a redesign. Responsive website design addresses the need for websites to be able to adjust design and layout according to the devices of its users. People expect to land on a website that allows them to access what they are looking for from any device. Nothing says “we don’t want your business” like a website that isn’t mobile-friendly.
A responsive, mobile-friendly website retains and increases mobile users, provides a seamless user experience, improves your SEO efforts, and so much more!
#2: Your brand positioning or message has changed
Maybe you were a startup company a few years ago but have become an established business in the community. Maybe your company has taken on new philanthropic efforts? Or maybe you just started offering new products and services. Your website should reflect the company culture and overall messaging of your brand. If your messaging shifts, so should your website and its content. You can spend time developing a beautiful website, but overlooking the crucial element of what your business actually does and communicating that clearly to your target audience can make the difference between a lead and a bounced visitor.
First-time website visitors are quick to judge and you have a very small window to convince them that you meet their needs. Make sure your messaging is current, consistent, and delivers value.
#3: Your website looks outdated
Many businesses believe that once they take the time to design their company website, they will no longer need to spend any time working on it. Even if your site is just a year old, however, it could already be an outdated dinosaur. Not only do web design trends change rapidly, but technology standards do as well. Clean, fresh designs with easy navigation are at the forefront of today’s web design trends, but that definitely wasn’t the case even just a couple years ago. If your website is out-of-date, then you could lose credibility with potential clients and even current clients. We’ve actually seen cases where customers thought a company was no longer in business because their website was so obviously outdated. Customers don’t want to deal with a business that seems out of touch.
A smart design and user experience can help ensure your visitors have consistent experiences from their first interaction with your brand and beyond. Protect your reputation, maintain your customer base, and grow your business with a design that wows visitors.
Is a website redesign on your project radar? We can help!
#4: You have a high bounce rate
If visitors are leaving your site immediately, you should notice a high bounce rate in your website analytics. A high bounce rate is a good indication of a disconnect between you and your customers. Not only are you missing out on the opportunity to get your brand messaging and service capabilities in front of them, but they won’t be converting into leads or customers, either. Some common reasons a visitor would leave your website include:
- Bad website design
- Complicated site navigation
- No calls-to-action
- Wrong use of external links
- Slow website speed
- Irrelevant content
Of course, these are just some of the most common reasons for a website’s high bounce rate. Your bounce rates will always be contingent on your website’s unique challenges and audience. The important thing is this—in order for visitors to convert into users (and more importantly, customers) they have to stick around on your site. Ideally, they’re on there long enough to trigger a conversion.
So, how do you increase the success of your website? The first step is admitting you have a problem 🙂 The next step is to ask yourself: “What are the strengths and weaknesses of my current site?” – if any of these red flags are on your list of weaknesses, then you should consider a website redesign.