Most small business owners understand the crucial role a website plays in generating leads and driving sales. An attractive, user-friendly website is key to engaging potential customers and competing with other businesses. However, many websites don\u2019t change to reflect the evolving needs of the business and its audience.<\/p>\n
While a website redesign may not be the top priority for anyone running a business, failing to update a business website can seriously undermine marketing efforts and constrain business growth. Here are 10 reasons why it might be time to redesign your website.<\/p>\n
If your website isn\u2019t helping you achieve your marketing goals, a redesign might be necessary. Perhaps your conversions are low, or too many visitors are bouncing off your site. Sometimes, you only need to redesign certain sections of your website to improve results, such as navigational elements or website forms.<\/p>\n
Tip: Study the websites of your competitors and use Google Analytics to gain valuable information that can inform a redesign.<\/p>\n
The structure of your website might seem logical to you, but what if potential customers can\u2019t quickly find what they\u2019re looking for? A design that isn\u2019t user-friendly leads to confusion and ultimately increases website bounce rates.<\/p>\n
Tip: Prioritize your navigational elements according to the needs of potential customers. What is important to them? If you\u2019re not sure, ask your audience.<\/p>\n
Have you changed your company\u2019s logo or visual style? Have you recently won an award or upgraded your products and services? It\u2019s important to reflect these changes in the design of your website to build customer confidence.<\/p>\n
Tip: Use your homepage to highlight recent company achievements and developments. Your website should represent your company as it is today, not as it was when you built your website.<\/p>\n
Your business objectives may have also evolved. For example, in the early days your website might have featured more informational content to explain your business. If today, you\u2019re more concerned with generating leads and driving visitors to product pages, your website should be updated accordingly.<\/p>\n
Tip: Define your short and long-term marketing goals and structure your website pages to maximize results in these areas.<\/p>\n
Older website designs can make your business look unprofessional and damage your reputation. To remain competitive and inspire confidence in visitors, you need a website that looks up-to-date. However, following the latest design trends isn\u2019t always the best way to go. Not every design trend is suitable for every business, and some designs will quickly go out of fashion.<\/p>\n
Tip: Choose a modern design that reflects the image of your business and is likely to stand the test of time.<\/p>\n
To give users a consistent, user-friendly experience, your website should \u201crespond\u201d to whatever device it\u2019s viewed on. Today, more consumers use smartphones and tablets to browse the internet, so if your website isn\u2019t optimized for these devices, you could be losing customers without even realizing it. What\u2019s more, your search rankings will suffer if your website isn\u2019t fully responsive.<\/p>\n
Tip: Choose a responsive website design that will accommodate all users, no matter which device they\u2019re using.<\/p>\n
If your website isn\u2019t optimized for search engines, potential customers will struggle to find you when they perform a search online. A website redesign can make it easier for search engine crawlers to scan your pages, helping to boost your search rankings.<\/p>\n
Tip: Consider using a more advanced content management system (CMS) that makes your website more search engine friendly. For more information, ask your website designer, if you use one.<\/p>\n
In one study, it was reported that 40 percent of consumers will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load (1). Put simply, if your web pages don’t load quickly, you’ll annoy potential customers and your website bounce rates will increase. A website redesign can ensure that your site is built with page speed in mind.<\/p>\n
Tip: Use Google\u2019s PageSpeed Insights tool to check your website\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
Small businesses are just as vulnerable to hacking and viruses as larger organizations. If visitors aren\u2019t convinced your website is secure, they\u2019re unlikely to provide you with any personal details. To secure your website with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), obtain a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for your website. This will show users a secure padlock icon if they\u2019re using a newer browser.<\/p>\n
Tip: The best web hosting services usually offer free SSL certificates. If you\u2019re unsure, ask a professional website designer to handle the conversion to HTTPS.<\/p>\n
Older websites can be difficult to update manually, but a website redesign can ensure you have greater control. With a newer CMS, it will be easier to regularly update website pages and optimize your content for search engines.<\/p>\n
Tip: When you\u2019re redesigning your website, use a CMS that will allow you to quickly alter elements of your website, according to your changing marketing goals.<\/p>\n
The most effective websites combine design, content, and functionality to create an engaging, memorable experience for visitors. Hopefully, these guidelines will help you understand whether your current design is helping or hindering your business.<\/p>\n
The bottom line? Your website can be one of your most important sales tools, but only if it supports your current marketing goals and meets the expectations of your target audience. If you think your website is holding you back, it\u2019s time to consider a website redesign. It\u2019s a great way to optimize site performance, improve the user experience, and maximize sales for your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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