In today's digital age, having a website is essential for any business looking to establish or grow their online presence. Your website is a critical component on which users base their first impression. If executed properly, it could serve as your 24/7 business representative.
However, just having a website isn't enough – it needs to be up-to-date, functional, and visually appealing to attract and retain visitors. So, how do you know when it's time to refresh or redesign your website? Here are some telltale signs:
Your website looks outdated:
If your website looks like it was designed in the early 2000s, it's definitely time for a refresh. An outdated website can give the impression that your business is no longer relevant or trustworthy. For example: if you owned a shop in the local town, would you leave your shop window display the same for several years? Of course not, you’d change it on a regular basis to keep customers interested. Similarly, your website needs to be refreshed every 2-3 years to be up to date.
Here’s an example of a website redesign:
Old Version of Slack.com
New Version of Slack.com
In the older version of Slack’s landing page, there is a flatter appearance that belonged to an earlier decade. However, after the redesign, there is an easily accessible menu on the top section with details such as pricing, location and ‘find your workspace’. This addition improves the user experience as they can digest all of the information relevant to them before proceeding to enquire or make a purchase.
Your website is not mobile-friendly:
In today's mobile-first world, it's crucial that your website is optimised for mobile devices. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you're likely losing out on a significant amount of traffic. Google is moving its search indexing to a 'mobile-first' model. "Indexing" is when Google looks at the content of your website to determine its context, quality, and usability before storing it for use in search results. With this in mind, as a minimum, you need to make sure that your mobile website contains all of the same content as the desktop version, is easy to consume and loads at lightning speed.
Your website is slow to load:
Slow-loading websites can be frustrating for visitors and lead to high bounce rates. If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, it's time to investigate the cause and make necessary changes. A recent Google study found out that 53% of mobile website visitors wait at most three seconds for the web page to load before moving on.
Pro Tip: We recommend that your website scores at least 80% in Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool.
Your website is not user-friendly:
Your website should be easy to navigate and provide visitors with a positive user experience. If your website is cluttered or difficult to navigate, it's time for a redesign. Navigation tools such as the search bar and filters give the viewers ease of use by allowing them to easily find the pages they want to visit. It helps them save time and keeps your site accessible to a wider audience.
Your website is not generating leads or sales:
If your website isn't driving leads or sales, it's time to re-evaluate your strategy. In simpler terms, if your website traffic is flat then a redesign may be necessary to better showcase your products or services and improve your conversion rate.
Watch the session below to delve deeper into the "7 Must-Haves For A High Converting Website"
So, if you've identified any of these signs, it's time to consider a website redesign. Here are some tips to get started:
Identify your goals:
Before you start redesigning, it's important to identify your goals for your website. Are you looking to generate leads, increase sales, or simply improve your online presence? Having clear goals will help guide your redesign process.
Review your content:
Take a close look at your website's content and determine what's working and what's not. Make sure your content is up-to-date, relevant, and engaging. Basically, if your services have evolved but your online presence hasn’t then, consider a redesign!
Update your design:
Consider modernising your website's layout, colour scheme, and typography to make it more visually appealing.
Pro Tip: Review the latest design trends and go with something that will last the test of time (3+ years).
Optimise for mobile:
A responsive design will ensure that your website looks great on all devices and will improve your website traffic. At a minimum, design the mobile and desktop layouts alongside each other.
Test and refine:
Once your redesign is complete, it's important to test and refine your website to ensure it's working as intended. Monitor your traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates to make sure your website is achieving your goals.
Pro Tip: Use tools such as GA4, HotJar and schedule focus groups with stakeholders to test and refine your website.
In conclusion, if your website is showing any of the signs listed above, it's time to consider a redesign. We understand that a website redesign can be a stressful, tiring and time-consuming process. So, if you are looking for a well-designed website that’s not only visually appealing but also functional and responsive then, get in touch with us and let our expert team help you!
