In a survey conducted by Blue Fountain Media among 1,013 respondents aged 18 to 60 and residing in the United States, more or less 81% of them believe that businesses or brands with outdated websites do not deserve their attention. If your site is in such a situation, it’s probably time to update its design.
Why Websites Need a Redesign
Websites are an extension and virtual address of a business or organization. They also serve as a platform for companies to connect with their customers or clients. So, if a website is not helping the businesses and brands it represents, is good only in appearance and aesthetics, and is sluggish or outdated, it has to be revamped. For a website to continually attract and engage visitors, it has to be on par with the newest web design trends.
Design trends, like technology, change rapidly, which is why websites should be constantly checked and updated. While proof that a website needs a redesign is not always visible, things like content performance, conversion statistics, site traffic, UX (user experience), and responsive web design have specific indications that can serve as warning signs.
Knowing what these signs are will help determine when and how to improve and update your website’s design and overall impact.
Signs Your Website Needs A Redesign
If you notice any of these signs happening to your website, it’s time to sit down with your web designer and talk things out.
It does not appear in Google search rankings.
When a website comes out in Google searches, it means many things. It means the site has relevant content. It means the site has good SEO (search engine optimization). It also means that the website is easy to find online and has a solid online presence.
If your website is not coming out on Google searches, no matter how frequently you upload new content, there is something wrong with it. The ideal thing to do is redesign it to follow a Google-approved structure and the proper SEO techniques.
It’s outdated.
How would you know if your website is outdated? Well, here are some characteristics to watch out for:
- It is over five years old. Website designs should be changed every three to five years to adhere to the current trends.
- It is cluttered with poor quality and unrelated images.
- It has an outdated design, i.e., glittering effect.
- It uses Flash technology, which is now obsolete and incompatible with Google Chrome and other modern browsers.
Technology and trends are not the only things that constantly change; users also change their habits and preferences quite frequently.
It’s slow.
Ideally, websites should not take more than three seconds to load. Pages that take too much time to load turn off visitors and lose leads. Users that leave your site before it can even load contribute to the bounce rate – the higher the bounce rate, the slower your website speed.
Aside from losing visitors, a slow website also means lesser conversion rates, bad user experience, and low search engine ranking. Google’s algorithm recognizes and assigns higher ranks to pages or sites that load faster than those that take too much time to open.
It’s not mobile-optimized.
Websites that are not mobile responsive are outdated because they do not offer convenience to consumers who use smartphones for Google searches. Almost 50% of searchers use their phones for their online activities.
A mobile-optimized, mobile-responsive web design means users can view your website on different devices despite changing screen sizes. It attracts a lot of visitors and potential clients because it is not only convenient but also user-friendly.
Its content is challenging to update.
If your site is outdated, you will have a difficult time updating its content. In cases like this, the problem is usually the absence of a reliable CMS or Content Management System (such as WordPress). It’s what you need to update your content without the need for a content developer or somebody to work on the codes. You can do the content updating yourself.
It’s not easy to navigate.
If a user is having a difficult time going through your site, it can lead to frustration and confusion. Websites like this have a poor UX rating – and a negative user experience can lead to a reduction in your visitors, prospects, and sales.
It’s not up to par with its competitors.
If your competitor websites have fresher, better-looking, more user-friendly, and functional sites, you’re going to end up in the last row, and your prospects won’t see you.
Its UX design does not work.
Good UX or user experience like Kajabi web design is essential if you want to satisfy your users and visitors. This means easy navigation (as already mentioned above), engaging and well-written content, clean and clutter-free design, and calls-to-action.
Its branding and message are not clear.
If your landing page is outdated, cluttered, or does not have valuable content, visitors won’t stay on your site.
You need to update your landing page and make it more compelling, informative, and engaging. Your brand’s information should all be laid out on the landing page and other website pages.
If your company branding has changed, your site needs a redesign to repeat the changes and remain consistent with the brand.
If your website exhibits any of the signs indicated above, it’s time to meet with your web designer and talk about updating all of its outdated aspects.
