10 Signs That Your Website Needs Updating

How fast is your site?

If your website has a slow loading time it can impact the ‘bounce rate’ from your site to one that quickly provides relevant information. Google rankings are also affected negatively with slow response time. Slow sites can cause problems when being viewed on mobile devices and a slow loading website can also frustrate and discourage the user, suggesting your service may be slow and frustrating too.

If you have a slow loading site the code under your website could be causing the problem. A new design and renewed code could make a huge difference on your website working efficiently for you and ensuring users stay to convert.

Is everything working as it should be?

Are all your Social Media links working correctly? Has your contact form stopped working? Is there anything lurking on your site that really shouldn’t be there? These are signs that your website is ripe for a redesign.

When you commit to redesigning your website, it gives you a chance to fix all the things that aren’t working to the benefit of your business. It also gives you a chance to add new features that potential clients would like, such as social sharing buttons or an email subscription form to get a free download or sign up to a mailing list.

Are you able to edit your own content?

Digital Marketing is so much about good quality content. Search engine rankings, social media marketing, generating list subscribers, and so on. It is thought that if you can’t create new pages or edit those you have, then you could be losing out to those competitors who can. However, let me throw in a word of caution; this only works if you have the time, capability and resources to make it work for you. If you do not, it will be counter-productive.  Ensure your website has the content required either by doing yourself or by making sure you have a digital marketing agency who can do it for you.

How effective is your home page?

How can you tell? If you believe the traffic to your site isn’t the best it could be you will need to ensure you have something like Google Analytics to track your position. Not only will this look at individual visits but it will also show you which pages perform better and where improvements can be made.

Your home page should be engaging and persuasive ,encouraging your audience to delve further into your website but also ensuring the number of clicks to the information required is kept to a minimum. Its about making it easy for your customers to feel at home using the site. Make it friendly and professional and repeat business should follow.

Have your visitor numbers decreased?

If the number of visitors to your website are dwindling this could be a signal that you need to have a revamp. If your website is dated, with a slow response time this could be a contributing factor to the decreasing numbers. Having an engaging site will please both your customers and the search engines alike.

When did you last update your site?

Many marketing agencies have conflicting views on how regularly you should update your site. It could be an expensive thing to do, however, if you consider revamping your website every 2 to 3 years with a full rebuild before 5 years, it will be fresh and enticing for your ideal customers. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but it’s likely that if your site is older than 3 years it will look a little outdated and may not function to the required standard.

The very nature of a website as a technology driven tool means that the advancements in methods and coding change at a dramatic pace. Websites need redesigning every few years to ensure they keep up with the technical progressions as well as trends in design.

Do you have a blog on your website?

Your website should give its visitors a feel for you as a business, your ethos, your professionalism. It is more than a sales tool, it is a conversation and without a blog to follow many may pass you by. The ability to publish pertinent articles, video, infographics, and images is important to begin a dialogue with your customers.

Not everyone is a fan of the blog, it takes time and imagination which isn’t always free flowing. However, when utilised correctly it can really enhance your relationship with your customers and provide valuable insight into the market you are in from both a user and provider perspective. There is huge SEO value in a blog that has been optimised well. Search engines love well optimised content and you don’t get better than a blog for that! So, in short, if you don’t have a blog on your website then make it part of your redesign!

How do you rank in the search engines?

Ah Search Engines; you know they are drivers of traffic to your site, and as fickle as they can be, and ever changing too, their purpose it to assist your customers to find you. Your part in this is to ensure your website makes it easy for them to do so. Search engines reward websites that are well optimised and well coded with regular content updates. Great content and mobile readiness are also key factors. There are many things to consider, and any digital marketing agency worth their salt will ensure you have the updates required. Ensure a redesign covers these and you will see greater quality traffic flow.

Is your site in Flash?

Not Flash Gordon saviour of the universe! The software Flash is now considered a an out of date platform, if your website is still in Flash you run the risk of losing rankings and your customers.

Flash is not compatible with iPhones and iPads, and the search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo are beginning to announce they are stopping support for Flash. Simply put, Flash is arduous to use, problematic to create and difficult to maintain.

There is a solution however for those who want exciting animations. HTML5 and CSS3 is the modern way to create standard based animation features that are compatible with all smartphones and browsers. Make sure you have the best and easiest to use site by investing in a great redesign.

If you would like more information or advice on the redesign of your website please feel free to contact us at Generate UK on 01635 887711 or email info@generateuk.co.uk We will give you our honest opinion of whether your website needs a tweak or a whole overhaul. We can point you in the right direction and help you gain clarity.