4 November 2022
But how often should you consider a redesign of your website? The truth is that depends on a number of different factors.
Have you wondered if or even when you should get a website makeover? Keeping your website design and functionality updated is a good move because internet search trends change and website design looks also change quite frequently. Consumers become used to common design theme looks designed to help them asses quickly if they want to shop or do business with the site owner.
Typically, a good rule of thumb is that an average website has an approximate “shelf life” during which it is seen as new, functional and convenient for users. For the typical brand, that time span is between 18 and 30 months – or 1.5 to 2.5 years or so. And absolutely by 3 years your site will at least need some type of design or functionality “freshening up.”
4 Reasons To Update Your Website
Redesign to Tackle a Problem
If you are having issues with your website leads or sales (conversion rates) it is definitely time to audit your website to find any issues that may prevent visitors from buying from or calling your business.
If you have experienced a drop in business overall or visibility in search results it’s time to audit your site. Perhaps your site was using dated SEO techniques that could be harming your search rankings.
Your Site Looks and Feels Old
Another reason to invest in website redesign could be more cosmetic – your site’s look and feel. Think of your website as your online home. People arrive at the site and immediately get their first curb appeal impression of your brand. Is it telling them that you’re modern and engaged and capable of delivering the product, service or support they need? Or is it dilapidated, featuring outdated design elements like traffic counters, flashing banners, narrow width design and reeking of something past its prime? If the latter, a redesign is almost certainly what you need.
Investing in the look of your website is very important to engage visitors. You don’t need to necessarily upgrade every aspect of your existing site to see an impact. Sometimes simply giving the home page and key categories pages some TLC and applying a new look to existing content elsewhere can be just the boost you need at a fraction of the time and expense.
Your Site Doesn’t Work Right
If your site doesn’t perform well, that’s another sure sign that it’s time to invest in a new site. For example, if your site features high-quality content that is buried seven pages – or seven clicks – deep, that’s not an effective design. If your site has many broken links that lead nowhere or to removed pages – links that lead to error or 404 pages, whether on your own site or offsite – or your pages load slowly or your site isn’t mobile responsive (your website resizes itself to different mobile devices), these are all signs that it’s time to consider a website redesign.
It’s also worth considering if your site works right for you and your visitors because a site that is frustrating to a visitor leads to a quick click-out to your competitor. Is it serving as an informational resource for visitors? Are they finding what they need easily? Are you able to make updates or changes to product information, service features or inventory items easily on your own? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” the answer to whether you need a redesign is a resounding “yes.”
Did You Plan for the Future?
Because the internet changes so much and so rapidly any site design should plan for future upgrades that can be integrated easily. Regardless of what steers you toward the redesign, you should try to make sure that any new site is as future-focused as possible to help you get the most from your investment.
- SEO: Is your new site ready and capable of being optimized for search engines?
- Structure: Is the design and flow of pages built to make it easy to access relevant information, access products or reach a contact page?
- Simple: Is your new site simple to access, update and manage for you and your team?
- Sales: Is the new site able to process orders, shipping and other information if you’ll be selling online?
- Speed: How quickly a site loads can impact user experience, so is your new site designed to be fast, even on mobile devices?
- Scalable: Speaking of mobile, does your new site experience scale responsively to different screen sizes?
- Reviews & Social: Does your site include your reviews and social media, whether it’s links to your social presence or your online reviews?
Don’t Get Left Behind!
The web is constantly evolving and adapting, and if you’re not moving to adjust with it, you’re bound to be left behind. Invest in building a new site not because you think you should, but because you need to if you want to stay relevant and offer the best content and experience to your visitors.
At Pinnacle Web Marketing we specialize in custom website design. We offer friendly, no obligation consultations to help you decide what is right for your business marketing.
For more information visit our directory listing – Pinnacle Web Marketing, Stuart FL