Five signs you may want to revamp your website.

Are you getting frustrated with the performance of your website? Are you worried you are not being found on Google? Does it feel like your website is not doing its job? If so, you may need to consider revamping your website. Below are five questions to help you decide whether to update your website design.

Here are five questions to help you decide if your website needs some TLC.

1. Does your website takes a long time to load?

Does your website take ages to load correctly? Are you able to go and make a cup of tea or browse social media on your phone whilst your site loads? If either of these sounds like your website then your site is slow. Slow-loading websites can be a huge hindrance to any business. Not only does it put off potential customers, which can then lead to a decrease in revenue but it can have an impact on your site visitor’s experience and affect your SEO rankings. 

Common causes of a slow-loading website include outdated software, large images, server delays, flashy content, not using a CDN or cache plugin, an inefficient web hosting service, and too many ads and social share buttons.

There are a few things you can do to help speed up your slow-loading website, start by regularly updating your website software, making sure that all images are optimised, any plugins are up to date and compatible with your site and any dynamic features such as social media sharing buttons, and embedded files are configured correctly, you should also be using a reputable web hosting and domain registration company to ensure that your website loads quickly, efficiently and is secure.

2. Do you have broken links, buttons and pages?

Does your website have links that go nowhere or even worse take site visitors somewhere they shouldn’t go? Maybe there is a button or two that just doesn’t do anything? Or do you have some pages that show a 404 error? Websites with broken links, buttons and pages are a major problem for any business or site owner. It can frustrate site visitors and lead to a decrease in website traffic. Nothing is more annoying to a site visitor than not finding the information they are looking for or being unable to contact your company when needed. Not only does it make it difficult to find what you are looking for, but it can create a feeling of uncertainty in your customers and send them straight to your competition, in the long run, this can also cause your website to rank lower on search engines as well.

This problem is often caused by changes within your website or external websites that no longer exist. To prevent this from happening, it is important to identify any broken links and take corrective action to ensure that all links are properly functioning. You should keep track of all internal and external links on your website, update URLs when necessary, and set up proper page redirects for any removed or renamed pages, links and buttons.

You must make sure that all your website links work and direct site visitors to the correct pages and content. You should also make sure to have a redirect page and request new links for any external links that may no longer work, any links that don’t work should be deleted or replaced with new links, and make sure you also replace or re-create any pages/content with broken links. Buttons should also work correctly and direct site visitors to the relevant sections. By making your website easy to navigate your site visitors can find the information they require, and reach out to you and this leads to an increase in revenue.

3. Is there outdated content on your website?

Is your website content old and out of date? Maybe you still have an old office number or an old office address on your contact page, or your website is advertising services you no longer provide or you have prices/rates from 2010 still on your site. Website content that is no longer relevant or accurate can hurt your business. 

Keeping your website content up-to-date can be a challenge, while there isn’t a hard and fast rule of when you should update or re-fresh your site content, it is considered good practice to update and refresh website content as soon as you realise your site is missing information on your business, this could be a new social media page, change of email address or business hours and services. Most website content becomes outdated due to several reasons, the most common being that you don’t know how to change your content on your website, or if you don’t have a developer or site admin or your web designer/developer is always hard to reach.

It is important for you to regularly review your site content to ensure that it is up-to-date and accurate. This includes checking contact information, services and prices, links to social media as well as any other information that may have changed since the content was first created. Outdated content can lead to confusion, lost business opportunities, and even legal issues if incorrect information is provided to your site visitors. Regularly reviewing content for accuracy is essential to ensure that your site visitors can access the most up-to-date information on your business.

4. Is your website is optimised for mobile devices?

Is it almost impossible to visit your site on a mobile phone? Do you end up doing the two-finger shuffle to read your site content? If so, your website is not mobile-responsive and can be a major turn-off for potential customers. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular and up to 70% of site visitors will visit your site on their phone. If your site is not mobile responsive and viewing your site on a phone is almost impossible then you will have a high site visitor bounce rate.

Mobile phones have revolutionised the way we access information, and as a result, website design and development have had to change. Unfortunately, if your site was designed before mobile phones became a thing, then it is likely that your website was not built using mobile-first design and has not been configured to be responsive. If your site is not configured to be responsive, your site might not be able to handle the increasing number of visitors from mobile devices. This means you are losing out on potential leads and customers who may have been interested in your offer.

Fortunately, there are solutions available to help you make sure that your website is properly optimised for all devices. Most Content Management Systems and site builders have tools to help make your website responsive or you can hire a web developer to configure your website for mobile devices. 

5. Does your website have old and outdated styles?

Does your website look like a relic from the past, with its boldly coloured backgrounds, hard-to-read fonts and funky elements? In today’s digital age, having an up-to-date website is an essential part of staying competitive in the business world. Unfortunately, if your site was built back in the 90s, it is likely outdated and not optimised for modern web standards. It is well worth investing in a modern, clean, working website that could help your business reach new heights. 

Your site should always look modern and inviting to potential customers. It’s no secret that web design has changed drastically over the years. Unfortunately, many websites still look like they were designed in the 1990s with hard-to-read fonts and typefaces, bold backgrounds, and other outdated design elements which can make it difficult and confusing for site visitors to find what they’re looking for on your site. An updated web design is essential to keep up with the ever-changing trends in digital marketing. With the right strategy and resources, your website will engage customers, increase visibility and generate leads.

Your website should be your best sales tool, by having a modern website you be should able to provide a great experience for your site visitors which increases your revenue. Your site should be easy to navigate and contain content that is relevant to your target audience. All websites should also have the necessary tools and features to help you convert site visitors into loyal customers. With the right design and content, you can ensure that your website will bring in more customers and help you gain more success.

We can help you bring it back to life with our website redesign services. Whether you have an old website that needs updating or no website at all, we offer personalised solutions to ensure your site looks modern, professional, and user-friendly and puts your business’s best foot forward.