12/02/2017
Here are ten reasons to redesign your website.
1. It’s unpleasant or outdated – Users expect websites to be clean, simple and pleasing to the eye. With so many options to choose from, it is vital that your website stands out. If you haven’t updated your website in the last 24-months, chances are it is out of date. If you are unsure, ask your colleagues for an honest opinion. Build a beautiful site that you can be proud of.
2. There is no call to action – Is it clear what you want website visitors to do once they are at your website? You need a call to action on each page of your website. A call to action could be about making a phone call, subscribing to an email list, downloading a document, and more.
3. It fails to build credibility – Let’s face it, most websites are created to establish credibility. Are you showing customer testimonials? Are you sharing the logos of your clients? Do you explain the reasons people should trust your business?
4. SEO isn’t part of it – If you want to rank highly on search engines, your website must be search engine optimized. You have to use the proper keyword phrases within your content. Optimize your images with the correct alt tags. Use the appropriate web page titles to include your target keywords.
5. You made it out of Flash – Similar to an outdated design, Flash ages your website. Flash is not compatible with all devices or search engines and this can hurt your traffic. Because of these reasons, more website designers are moving away from Flash.
6. It’s slow – You don’t want a website that is frustrating to use. Due to the increasing internet speeds available, users have lower tolerances for wait times. This is crucial on mobile devices. People want sites that load quickly when they are on the move.
7. Unless your website loads in a couple of seconds it is too slow.
It’s not optimized – Review your site on multiple devices. Laptops, large monitors, phones, tablets, etc. If your website does not run well on all of these devices, you are missing out on traffic and customers.
8. It doesn’t sell your products – Focus on your return on investment (ROI). All the traffic in the world won’t help you if it doesn’t create money. Reconsider how you advertise your products and services. Make it easy for customers to make a purchase. If you do have a high number of views, consider additional advertising.
9. Your brand isn’t visible – Are visitors connecting with your company? Do some research to see if people walk away with your intended message. Think about your brand statement, is this visible on your website?
10. It’s a pain to maintain – Fresh content drives traffic. If you don’t update your website, people won’t have a reason to come back. Frequent updates start with simple processes. If your site is hard to update, updates will take more time. Content Management Sites (CMS) such as WordPress have built-in solutions to make updating a website easier. If you have a complicated website with few updates, consider simplifying your process
If some of these factors apply to your website, you have taken the first step to improving your business. But you’re not done yet. You will need to conduct additional research to find the root of your website’s problems. Website updates may seem challenging, but they are worth all the effort in the end.
