In today’s digital world, every company needs a website. However, just setting one up isn’t enough. Your website will also need updates every few years to stay functional and relevant for your customers. How do you know if your website needs a change? Check out the following signals that may mean it’s time. 

1. Your branding and website do not align

If you have updated your logo or branding in on your printed collateral or in your physical store, but this isn’t reflected on your website it can lead to customer confusion that drives them away. Your brand is your identity and should carry through everything you produce. Additionally, if your branding needs a refresh, doing this at the same time as a website update can make the entire process easier and lead to an entire modern identity for your company. 

2. It’s not mobile compatible

Mobile phones have become the primary device people use to browse the internet. A recent study found that 75% of people prefer a mobile friendly site and 50% of respondents said that even if they like a business they will use them less often if their site is not optimized for mobile. This means you could be doing everything else right and losing business simply because your website is confusing to use on smaller devices. If this a problem your business faces, you may want to hire someone to help ensure your mobile experience is seamless on your new site. 

3. It is difficult to update

Having accurate and updated information on your website is a critical part of building your credibility with potential clients. If your website is very difficult to update you may find that you have missed outdated information that should have been changed or that you are putting off making changes because you simply don’t have time to go through the complicated process. Today new information needs to be distributed in a flash and you can’t be waiting around for the only employee at your company who knows code to arrive at the office. 

4. The loading speed is slow

Users are spoiled by very fast loading speeds and are no longer willing to wait for a site to load. If your site is slower, users will likely click away and check out the next search engine result rather than sticking around to see what your site has to offer when it finally loads. Test the loading time of your site on multiple browsers to ensure that this isn’t costing you business. 

5. Your bounce rate is very high 

Bounce rates can vary quite significantly and not be a signal of a problem, however, if your bounce rate is consistently over 85% this is a sign that the vast majority of people can’t bear to stay on your site and that it likely needs a major overhaul. If this is the case, an updated site may also increase your ranking on search engines bringing more traffic to your site. 

6. You aren’t proud to share your URL

If you set up your website many years ago the trends for choosing a URL may have been a bit different. Today, sites are considered most professional when they use the company’s name in a simple format and this is also thought to help improve your SEO ranking. As an example, www.CentertownMotors.com is likely to be more well received than www.hotfastcars.com. The latter is more likely to be assumed to be spam based on the new online norms.

If any one of these points sounds a little too much like your website, it may be time for an update. With platforms like SquareSpace and Wordpress it is now possible to create a simple website with no knowledge of code. If you are looking for a more customized design or additional functionality you may want to hire a freelancer or agency who can help create your site. If you are ready to update your website, but aren’t sure where to begin we are happy to chat and help you figure it out. Contact us today for a free consultation.