10 Signs You Need a New Website

It’s easy to let a website get out of date. After all, if it has served you well for several years, why make any changes? However, the decline in the usefulness of websites can be gradual. So, gradual that you might not even notice if you don’t compare metrics like bounce rates to prior years. And, if you don’t keep up with current web design trends, you will not realize that your website looks dated.

So, what are the signs that a website requires a redesign? How can you know that it’s time to give your site a significant makeover? Here are ten of the signs that you might need to start again with your aging website.

1. It’s Been Three Years or More Since the Last Overhaul

Web design trends and technology change rapidly. So, you can expect that a typical website will need a significant upgrade at least every three years. A site will likely have been maintained and tweaked over time. Even so, a website will probably still benefit from a redesign after about three years.

2. Page Load Speeds Are Slow

Of course, no rule says a website must be redesigned after three years. But there will be other signs that your site is due for an upgrade. And one of the most common problems people experience with older sites is slow page load speeds.

Broadband speeds have significantly increased in the past few years. And internet users expect websites to keep pace with that speed. So, if your site keeps impatient users waiting, some people will not hang around waiting for pages to load.

3. Poor UX

The need for an excellent user experience (UX) has become more pronounced. But older website templates and themes do not cater to this trend. So, an outdated website is likely to be more challenging to use and not use many modern UX standards. So, if you are still using an outdated template, switching to a new one or having a bespoke site developed would solve the typical UX issues.

4. The Website No Longer Reflects the Brand

Your brand may have evolved but has your website kept pace with the changes? Because if your website doesn’t match your branding on other platforms, that will cause confusion and high bounce rates. Suppose your branding also suggests that your company is forward-thinking, but your website tells an entirely different story. In that case, your website could be causing a significant loss of brand credibility.

5. Outdated or Unsupported Software

A website may continue functioning with outdated or unsupported technology. But at some point, such technology will cause problems. Your site might still contain Adobe Flash elements, for example, but Flash is no longer supported. You might have WordPress plugins that are no longer supported. And unsupported plugins are not updated and could cause security issues.

6. Poor Mobile Experience

Mobile device usage so growing every year. Indeed, mobile internet usage has now surpassed 50%. So, if your website doesn’t provide the best mobile user experience, you could be alienating more than 50% of your visitors. Squeezing a website onto mobile devices is no longer the solution. Indeed, many websites are now developed using a mobile-first approach. But, if your website is a bit long in the tooth, the poor mobile experience is likely to be off-putting for many users.

7. Falling Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is another website metric that will tell your site needs redesigning. So, look at how well your conversion rate now compares to the conversion rate in previous years. If you are getting more visitors but conversion rates are falling, the outdated design of your website might be to blame.

8. Content and Functionality Creep

Websites that evolve can get muddled and confusing. You might have expanded your product range, for example, or you could have changed the style of your content marketing. And you may have had to shoehorn the new content into the existing website structure. Adding new functionality to a site can also cause issues. The new elements of the site might not have the same look and feel like the older elements. Content and functionality creep like this can affect the usability of a website. All of these things indicate that the site is due for a revamp.

9. The Site Looks Oh So Retro!

Fashion changes fast, and so do web design trends. So, it doesn’t take long for a website to look outdated. So, if your website looks like a blast from the past, it will be letting your brand down. Now, hopefully, your website doesn’t look quite as bad as that. Even so, it would be worth comparing your website to those of your competitors. If you see some significant differences in look and feel and functionality, it’s probably time you had a new website.

10. Increasing Bounce Rates

Bounce rates fluctuate from one day to the next. And an occasional increase in the bounce rate for your site is no cause for alarm. However, a steady rise in the bounce rate could be down to the outdated design of your site. So, compare the current average bounce rate to previous years to assess if your site needs a redesign. And, if there is an upward trend, consider what of the above points may be causing that increase.

Conclusion

Web design trends and standards change, as do the expectations of website users. So, it is best to keep a website looking fresh with new content and the occasional tweak to the design. However, the time will come that there will be alternatives to redesigning an aging site.

The most telling of the signs that a site needs replacing are increasing bounce rates and decreasing conversions. And changes in those metrics might be down to some of the more subjective indications mentioned above. So, hopefully, the above warning signs will help you decide when it is time for a new website.