If done well, your organisation’s website can be your most powerful marketing tool to drive success in the digital age.
The web design and interface make an immediate impression for its users, so when your website appears to be out-of-date or lacks compelling visuals, users may decide they do not trust your business and brand and go elsewhere.
If you’re seeing user engagement reduce, it may be time to start thinking about redesigning your website. After all your organisation’s website is a reflection of your brand.
Just as your business evolves, your website needs to keep pace as well.
Here are some signs you should consider an investment in refreshing your online presence.
It looks outdated
Sometimes looks do matter. While it’s important your website functions seamlessly, it also needs to look fresh and modern, not like it’s stuck in a bygone digital era.
That means maximising white space and leveraging strong visual images. People’s first impression of your website will be visual. Even if your content is outstanding, it can be rendered ineffective when coupled with a poor design.
The most appealing websites are generally clean, simple and informative.
It’s not mobile-friendly
Almost half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices and Google is now basing its rankings on the mobile rather than the desktop version of a website, so it’s crucial to give your customers an excellent mobile experience on your website.
When your customers can’t access your website easily from their devices, they will go elsewhere.
It’s difficult to navigate
What kind of feedback do your customers and clients have about your website? Do they say it’s organised and easy to use? Or do they say it’s hard to find what they’re looking for, or worse, just plain confusing?
If they struggle to find your contact information, your services or products, or other key information – you have a problem.
How users experience your website matters, as does how relevant your information is. The easier your site is to navigate and find information, the higher it will rank in search engine results. The more visitors to your site, the better your sales funnel.
It’s not SEO friendly
How high up your website ranks in search results is a result of search engine optimisation (SEO). Search engines constantly tweak the algorithm that determines website rankings, and businesses need to keep pace to see similar or increasing web traffic.
Instead of focusing on keywords, websites that answer user questions now receive higher results. Search engines also reward websites that have videos, imagery, alt tags and fresh content.
Content is old or not informative
Potential customers visit your website because they seek information. They want to know what your organisation does, the products or services it sells and how much it costs.
If people can’t find the answers to those questions quickly and easily it may be time for a refresh of your content and packaging.
The same goes for outdated content, which can cost you business opportunities if your website doesn’t feature your new projects, services or products for potential customers to see.
Updating website copy, adding new images, and including testimonials or case studies will help attract new customers and keep existing ones engaged.
Changes are difficult or impossible to make
Making small changes or updates to your site, like adding a blog post or changing a product description, should be easy for anyone to achieve. If your website is built on a platform that is difficult to work with, or that requires a third party to make even the simplest updates, consider a new website built in an easy-to-use content management system (CMS).
If you think your organisation’s website isn’t living up to its potential, we’d love to talk to you. Contact us today to learn how we can help refresh your website.
