With the emergence of mobile technology, having an updated website is not only important but expected.
In fact, having an outdated website can be just as bad for your business as not having any web presence at all. A slow website that isn’t mobile-friendly tells your customers that you don’t care about their experience with your business.
You may also give your customers the impression that you aren’t even in business anymore.
If you haven’t updated your website in the last 6 months, it might be time to consider a redesign. Here are signs your business needs a new website.
Outdated Branding & Messaging
Your website needs to showcase your current branding and messaging so your customers recognize your business online.
If your website is outdated, you’re probably advertising the wrong services or pricing. You may also have employees listed on your website who aren’t working for you anymore.
Once you recognize that you are advertising incorrect information on your site, you need to update it ASAP.
You Can’t Update Your Own Website
You’ve acknowledged that your business information is outdated, but you don’t know how to update your website.
Maybe your website is so old that it was hand coded. Maybe you don’t have access to your domain or hosting. If you aren’t able to update content on your website you are at a serious disadvantage.
Most new websites use a content management system which allows you to login to your website and update your content easily.
Slow Page Speed
Nothing makes a customer leave your website more, and contributes to a high bounce rate, than when it takes a long time to load.
According to Unbounce, websites that load in 2 seconds or less have a 9% bounce rate. Your bounce rate refers to the percentage of your visitors that exit your site without looking around. If your website takes anywhere from 3-5 seconds to load, your bounce rate can increase to 38%.
Your goal is to keep people on your website so they interact with your content and contact you, so making sure your site is fast is essential. Test your site speed here.
Your Design is Outdated
There are certain design elements that make your site look dated. Using flash is a dead giveaway that you haven’t touched your website in ages.
Flash elements also don’t display on mobile devices. CNN stated that mobile use surpassed desktop use by Americans in February 2014. This means that potential customers are more likely to search for you via their mobile device.
If your website isn’t accessible on mobile devices, then you will lose customers. Having a responsive website gives your customers an optimal view of your website regardless of what device they are using.
Google Doesn’t Know You Exist
Let’s face it, when a customer is looking for a product or service, they will turn to Google to find it.
In order for Google to serve your website to your customers, you need to provide useful, relevant content. Ensuring that your website is optimized for search engines is essential for your customers to find it.
You may also choose to implement a search engine marketing strategy to further promote your business and services.
Your Website Isn’t Connected To Your Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers. Having an active social media presence will allow you to engage with your customers and keep them interested in your business.
You can use social media to lead customers back to your website, as well as implement a feed on your website that leads back to your social media profiles.
Facebook also acts as an online citation, which signals to Google that your business is legitimate.
You’re Not Getting Any Leads
One of the biggest signs that your business needs a new website is that you aren’t getting any new customers online.
You might be an old school company that thinks you don’t need to generate new customers online. You’ve been around forever, and you get plenty of business from traditional word of mouth. However, there are many missed opportunities online if you aren’t investing in your website.
When a customer is looking for a product or service, they will research it online. Forbes writes that a customer’s shopping behavior is influenced by the research they have done online.
There are many signs that your business needs a new website. If any of the above items apply to your website, it’s time for a new one.
