Your website is the online home for your business. It’s where people from all over the world can come and learn more about what you do, why you do it and maybe even buy directly from your site.
It can help you grow your business or contribute to its downfall so it’s super important for it to be user friendly, modern and robust…after all, nobody wants to be landing on a page that looks like it was put together using microsoft paint 1997!
But how do you know if it’s working for you? In this post we will look at 7 signs that tell you it’s time for a new website.
1.Loading Speed is Slow
Loading speeds are one of the biggest killers of websites.
These days your website needs to be quick and responsive. Otherwise people will just click off and move onto the next thing.
You can use tools such as PageSpeed Insights to check how responsive your current site is. If it falls below the standard requirements then you can get to work sorting it.
Or you could ask for the assistance of some web design experts (like us) to do it for you.
The choice is yours!
2. It’s Been Over 3 Years Since Your Last Update
Most businesses set up their websites and don’t even think to update them ever. They believe that a leopard print background is as popular now as it was when it was first designed. (Although we’re not sure that leopard print was ever a good idea to be honest.)
Websites are just like your real home, they need to be looked after, maintained and updated as time goes on.
If they aren’t then you’re inviting potential customers to a lesser version of your digital brand and it’s just going to give off bad vibes.
And if you do actually have a leopard print background we would seriously recommend that you update your site immediately.
Or delete it permanently, the choice is yours.
3. Poor Conversion Rate
When you get visitors to your site you’ll want them to perform an action. Whether that’s buying one of your products or capturing an email address.
The conversion rate of your website refers to how many of your total visitor numbers performed a desired action.
The higher the number the better.
If you have optimised your site for conversions but you have a poor conversion rate, then it may be time to consider a refresh.
There is always a way to improve this aspect, sometimes it may be major changes or it could be more subtle tweaks that are needed.
Either way it’s important to fix it as soon as possible as your conversion rate can have a massive impact on your business going forward.
4. Not Responsive to Mobile Users
If you sit for any period of time in a public place and have a good look around at what others are doing, then you’ll notice that 99% of people are glued to their mobile phone screens.
We imagine you are one of those people right now as you read this. With this in mind you should always ensure that your website is mobile friendly.
Most sites these days are viewed on mobile devices so it makes sense to have a site that works well and looks good on mobile.
If you find that your site isn’t responsive on mobile then you must fix this immediately. Otherwise your customers will leave your site quicker than a wig caught in a hurricane!
5. Your Messaging is Out of Date
Your brand message is super important.
You want visitors to your site to know what it is you offer, and more importantly how you can help solve their problems.
If you don’t communicate this properly to site visitors then why would they stick around?
6. Traffic Numbers are Down or Stagnant
Traffic numbers can fluctuate throughout the lifecycle of your website. When those whizz kids over at Google HQ change the algorithm it will usually affect your website’s traffic.
But if yours has been consistently losing traffic over a period of time then it may be time to try and turn the tide.
7. Rising Bounce Rate
You’ve probably heard the ‘term bounce rate’ getting branded about in the website space.
Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors to your site that only view one page and then bounce straight off your site.
The probable cause for them leaving is that they:
- Didn’t find what they were looking for.
- They weren’t interested in what they saw.
- They saw your leopard print background and ran for the hills.
The higher your website’s bounce rate, the less chance you have of turning those visitors into paying customers.
Web Design with Blaze Media
There you have it, 7 signs that tell you it’s time for a new website. Learn how you can make the migration process seamless with Regular Expressions.
Websites are crucial for businesses to have success with their online marketing strategies. We’ve helped build them for a variety of businesses using cutting edge design and development techniques.
If you think it’s time for your existing site to have a refresh or you’re thinking about getting a brand new one, then please contact us today.