Long gone are the days of single-page text-based sites. Now, it’s all about dynamic designs with user experience in front of mind. While you may already have a website, is it still doing everything it can to attract and engage your customers?
Here are some key signs that your website needs a refresh.
It’s an outdated design.
If your website is more than five years old, or you have forgotten when you last updated your design, it is probably time for a website refresh. There are two ways you can avoid your website design becoming outdated:
As technology changes so should your website, particularly if you rely on new technology capabilities to facilitate eCommerce.
Periodically review your website with your web design agency to ensure it is on trend, optimised for user experience and is continuing to generate leads.
This forward-thinking attitude makes all the difference when it comes to customer research and purchasing decisions.
It’s not mobile-friendly
It’s vital that your website is mobile-friendly. If you don’t optimise for mobile, Google and many other search engines will penalise you and not show your content to interested users. A good website development team will design a mobile-friendly website and regularly check to make sure it is functioning properly.
It’s difficult to navigate
We can all think of one website that we avoid because the navigation is confusing. Navigation is one of the key reasons many users don’t go past the home page. Streamlined navigation is also one of the reasons many websites rank so well. If information is easy to find, users will spend more time on the site and are more likely to become qualified leads.
At Pixeld, we find many websites we redevelop lack straightforward navigation because previous developers have lumped all of their services under one tab or left services hidden in other pages.
It does not consider user experience
This is the biggest indicator you need a website redesign. User experience encompasses speed, traffic, engagement, bounce rate and SEO.
To have a user-friendly website it needs to:
- Load quickly
- Have relevant headings and content to direct information
- Be designed to help the flow of information
- Have relevant calls to action
- Encourage the user to engage further and stay longer
Without these elements, your website will appear sluggish, have a high bounce rate and lose considerable traffic.
The content is dated
If you haven’t updated the content since launch, it is time to review your website. Static website content should be reviewed at least once a year and updated to highlight your business achievements and growth. This can include new members joining your team, new services and products you offer or a brand refresh to better position yourself in the market. By keeping content updated, users are assured you are an “open business”.
Other ways you can update your content is by changing the photos on your website to feature current employees, updating your projects page or by having a blog that is regularly updated with insightful articles and exciting news. With regularly updated content and thoughtful designs, users are more likely to discover your website and more likely to engage with your business.
Poor Conversion Rate
With a poor conversion rate, it is likely that within your website there are broken links, unresponsive pages or it may not be supporting your business objectives. Pages with broken links or that are unresponsive automatically put a user offside. This can cause them to distrust your brand and stray from your products or services.
Alternatively, your website may not be supporting your business objectives and confusing customers about what services you offer or how to get in contact with you. Making your email and phone number clickable are just some of the basics that are vital to growing your customer base.
It’s important that as you grow your business, your website grows with you.
Talk to the Developers
At Pixeld, we create customised websites for businesses right across Australia. We’ll explore your goals, target market and objectives to design and develop a website that aligns with your business vision. If you’re ready for a website refresh, get in touch with us.
