The quality of your brand’s website can make or break its online reputation with customers. Website interactions often represent the only opportunity a company has to make a good first impression. In addition to outdated design trends, there are several other factors that determine whether it’s time for a refresh. Take a look at the top four signs that it’s time for a website update.
1. Your company rebranded
If a recent rebrand involves a new logo, new color palette and new fonts, then it’s crucial to make sure that your digital presence reflects these updates and reinforces your new brand image.
Depending on your budget, time and resources, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you must trash your current website and start from scratch. You may be able to make some style modifications here and there. However, if your company has undergone a major rebrand with new company goals or vision, then cosmetic tweaks won’t be enough. In this case, you should assess your website’s overall user experience (including structure and content) and decide whether it supports the company’s new goals.
2. You need to amp up lead generation
Are you trying to sell a product or service? Have you already invested the money on a marketing plan to funnel users to your website but you’re not getting any leads? If a poorly designed website is one of the final steps in your user journey, you’ll lose out on precious website conversions.
First, check your website analytics to confirm that your website is indeed attracting traffic. If it is, then dig deeper into the analytics and have someone knowledgeable help you sort through what is actually happening. You can ask questions like: “Is my bounce rate high for my website?” Or “What are the top exit pages?”
Some other questions you may be able to ask yourself: Is the Call to Action (CTA) clear and obvious? Is my website navigation intuitive?
“If a poorly designed website is one of the final steps in your user journey, you’ll lose out on precious website conversions.”
3. There are technical problems
Technical problems like your website loading slowly or having broken links can harm a user’s experience and your overall brand image. 40 percent of users abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load and 88 percent of users are unlikely to return to a website after a bad user experience.
Likewise, you should also listen to complaints from within your own company. If your own staff is having a hard time updating your website, you may be spending more time and money than you’d like troubleshooting these problems. And if your team avoids updating your website because it’s too hard to maintain, then not only is it dating your site, but you’re also losing out on the improved SEO that comes with new content.
4. Your website isn’t mobile friendly or ADA compliant
We all know how important it is for websites to be mobile-friendly. According to TechJury, mobile devices may now be the leading source of internet traffic in the US. Not optimizing your website for mobile use may mean leaving out more than half your potential user base. Also, users who cannot properly view or access your content from their phones (they will try) may inadvertently perceive your brand as dated or out of touch, thus harming the company’s reputation and possibly causing potential customers to flee.
Likewise, you don’t want to alienate people with disabilities (15% of the population) by having a website that’s not accessible. Making a website accessible is not just a recommendation; depending on your industry, it may be a legal requirement and could result in litigation.
Remember, having an accessible website may help to create a competitive advantage, attract a larger segment of the population and increase customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Website interactions are frequently the first experience that customers have with a brand. These interactions are precious, as brands often have only one opportunity to make a good first impression. Watch for signs that it’s time for an update so that you don’t miss out on opportunities to grow the business.