The tell-tale signs you need a brand new website
Take a second and think… when was the last time you had a website update? And no, we’re not just talking about updating a heading here and there – we mean a full overhaul.
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is “How do I know when I need a new website?”
Here are some of the telltale signs that your website needs an overhaul. If any sound familiar, get in touch with us today.
What are your analytics telling you?
It may seem obvious, but if your website stats aren’t looking too schmick, it’s probably a sign your website needs some much-needed TLC.
Take a look at your . Are people navigating through your website the way you’d like them to? How long are they staying on the site? And what does the engagement look like?
If you find users are spending just a few seconds on your site, are visiting just one page and leaving, or aren’t progressing to the pages you really need them to, your website’s user experience might not be delivering the results you need.
How much has your business changed since your last website update?
Your business has probably evolved over time. You might offer new products or services, target a new audience, or potentially have a different key message.
Over the course of that evolution, has your website kept up with the experience you want to offer to users?
Or has it been left behind?
Has your content become disjointed?
Similar to how families outgrow a house and look at renovate and add new rooms, a website can become a tangle of extras added on to align with your business’ growth and transformations.
It’s always important to consider the master plan – how does everything flow together?
If you don’t have a sitemap or website strategy in place, your website content could start feeling disjointed and make it harder for your audience to take the actions you need.
Can your site handle major technology updates?
Remember when Adobe Flash was a major component of websites? A great deal of businesses experienced significant issues when Apple made the move to stop supporting Flash.
All of a sudden, elements on websites completely stopped working for users.
And then mobile was introduced. Websites today now need to be responsive to multiple devices. Those that aren’t mobile optimised stand out, and not in a good way.
If your website is too outdated to be able to adapt to new consumption behaviours or technologies, it’s time to invest in a new site.
If your website breaks when you try to incorporate new elements, you are doing yourself, your business and your users a favour by getting a new website and content management system altogether.
Learn how a new site can boost your business
Speaking of Content Management Systems (CMS), what is your site built on?
We use WordPress because it’s open-sourced. This essentially means that the platform offers more freedom for your website developers and non-developers to change the code, content or structure as you please without hefty fees. As well as shift your hosting if you need a more secure provider.
If you chose to use a closed-sourced CMS for your website, you run the risk of the business ceasing updates to your site and not providing support, which can lead to a quickly outdated, non-responsive or insecure site. Not to mention the risk this poses if your CMS provider goes out of business!
If you face the second situation, you might want to consider shifting to a more secure and user-friendly platform.
Is the design still working for you?
Just like that fluffy beanbag in your garage went out of style, a website does too! It’s easy to tell from the look and design of a site that it is old. In fact, four years can be considered out-of-date when it comes to websites due to the fast nature of technology.
For example, websites have radically shifted to cater to the mobile experience and we now see longer, scroll-friendly designs. If your website doesn’t meet that brief, you’re likely being left behind!
Finally, are you proud of your website?
If your sales team cringe when they hand over a business card with your website link on it, you have a problem.
Your website is your most important digital asset and should be treated as such. If you aren’t proud of the experience you provide when a user visits your website or feel confident your website answers all of their questions, it’s a telltale sign it needs some work.
We’re not here to judge. Our team of website designers, developers and copywriters will help create a new website that reflects your business and provides an exceptional user experience to your target audience.
