10 signs that your website needs a redesign

Are you tired of looking at your website? Do you feel that your business needs a newer and more effective website?

Redesigning a website is more than just making it pretty. It serves as your primary online marketing tool, and must have intuitive navigation and clear and compelling messaging. It is also a process that deserves your wholehearted time commitment and monetary investment. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, then a new website design is in your best interests.

1. Your website isn’t aligned with your current marketing strategy

Your website is first and foremost your a marketing tool. If your marketing has changed recently, then chances are your current website isn’t aligned with your overall marketing strategy. Take time to define how your website can augment your business objectives. This is the perfect time to talk to a web marketing agency about your online requirements.

2. Your audience has changed

If your current website no longer serves the right audience, then website content and its design deserves a review. Before you jump into redesign though make sure that you define the persona(s) of your audience, their motivations to buy from you, and their perception that you are the right business to serve them. Your web marketing agency should be able to develop your buyer’s persona(s) before building the website.

3. Your content has changed

A content architecture that is served by an intuitive navigation is very important for a lower bounce rate. If you have added different kinds of content to the website since your last redesign, then it is time to evaluate your content architecture. This has ripple effects on how the content is organized, navigation elements, images, etc. A redesign may be in your cards.

4. Your website isn’t responsive

Google now penalizes websites that aren’t responsive (mobile friendly). Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ and type your URL. If Google deems your website unfriendly to mobile devices, then that means your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will suffer. In other words, it will be harder to find your website on the web and you won’t be able to achieve your business objectives. This is the number one reason why many businesses are opting for a redesign these days.

5. User experience is not good

It is hard for the business owner to know how user experience has degraded over time because he/she is familiar with its navigation structure. If you have added/changed content on the website since you last built it, it is a good idea to ensure that the website, your online marketing tool, is working at its best. Hire a web marketing agency to evaluate the user experience of your website.

6. Your website looks dated

Technologies change, and so do designs. If your website is starting to look like it was built when the dinosaurs roamed the earth (circa 2012), then you should think about redesigning your website. Websites that look outdated make the visitors think that you are either out of business or aren’t successful. Neither case helps your business. Hurry up and get a new website!

7. Your site is slow to load

Web is all about instant gratification. If something takes too long to load, people check out of there. It could be that the technology that is used on your website is too old and hence crawling along on a superhighway. At a minimum, hire a web agency to do an audit of your website.

8. Functions and features are obsolete

Nothing says “obsolete” like outdated features and functions on a website. If your website is advertising old products or you wish to add features such as social media, blogs, etc., then call to your local web marketing agency.

9. Your website is in Flash!

Flash shouldn’t be used anymore. Not only is it mobile-unfriendly, it is also hard to edit, isn’t good for your SEO, and is slow to load. If your website is built on Flash, it is time to develop a new website for your business.

10. Conversion rate is poor

The purpose of your website is to be visited online by as many potential clients as possible and then have them either get in touch with you or buy from you. If your other marketing activities like email marketing, are consistent and generating leads, but there is a drop in sales, then this shows that the website isn’t working well to capture these leads.

It may be that the website needs a few tweaks or it needs an overhaul. In either case, it is time to evaluate the design.

At PureLynx, we not only help clients refresh and maintain their current website, we also help build a great SEO-ready website that delivers results. Call us today at (650) 346-1442 to find out how we can improve your online presence.