Nothing lasts forever, so your website. Gone are the days when merely having a business website was enough to put your business ahead of the competition. Today, it's not enough for your business to have a website; it has to have a website that is attractive, easy to use, and encourages people to stick around.
The latest survey by Top Design Firms revealed that "42% of people will leave a website because of poor functionality." Another study by Stanford University showed that "75% of consumers evaluate a company's credibility depending on the design of its website."
So, it's evident from the facts how vital is the look and feel of your website if you want to seem trustworthy, rank high in search engines, and convert visitors into customers.
No matter your business type, you should expect your customers to be open to new ideas and innovations. Their expectations for a website's quality are rising steadily. Companies rarely put in sufficient time and effort to keep their website up-to-date. Even when a company is aware that its website needs updating, it may put it off for a variety of reasons.
Your website's visitors will notice, and if your competitors have a more updated website, they might get in touch with them. A user's first impression of your website is crucial, and if it's out of date, they may choose your competitors.
So, how do you know if your website is outdated and needs a facelift?
This blog post explores the top 6 reasons your website might be old-school and in need of a redesign.
Website isn't Mobile Friendly
According to Smart Insights, "more than 20% of Google and 50% of local searches are conducted on a mobile device." One in four Americans who use the internet does it only via smartphones. These numbers show that most internet use is now conducted on these devices; if your site isn't mobile-friendly, it's time for a responsive redesign.
Searching for goods and services online through mobile phones is far more convenient than using a laptop or computer. Your rankings will take a serious hit if your site isn't optimized for mobile phones. You will lose many prospective clients if your website cannot be seen properly on these devices.
Website Content is Outdated
They say content is the king, and it's very true when it comes to the digital world. If you want your online presence to show your expertise and help you reach the top, you need a content strategy that feeds the search engines fresh, relevant, and valuable information on a consistent basis.
Your company's blog is an excellent platform to demonstrate your brand's voice and provide useful information to the people who best represent your ideal customers. If you want to know what pages on your site people spend the most time on, Google Analytics is a great tool.
Once you've determined which pages on your site get the most attention, you can revisit them to make sure they're still relevant to your company, and, if they are, you can go further into each one to see how you can improve its value to existing and new customers. Contemplate methods to improve your site's usability by including additional visual elements (images, videos, and links) on your pages.
Search Engine Rankings Are Low
As search engines' algorithms have evolved over time, a poor organic ranking may indicate that it's time to update your website. In the past, stuffing your content with keywords was essential for search engine optimization.
Google's new Hummingbird upgrade prioritizes sites with high-quality, unique material; this is why blogs have become so popular.
The content on your site may need to be updated if it was not created with modern SEO practices in mind or if it is hidden under Flash components or photos. As 93% of all internet activity can be traced back to a search query, it is important to design it with search engine optimization in mind to maximize the number of prospective consumers that stumble upon your website,
Use of Old Technology
A website that relies on old technologies like Flash is hopelessly outdated. Flash is not only inaccessible on mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad, but it also hurts SEO since Google, Bing, and Yahoo cannot read it.
It also detracts from the user experience since consumers need to install a plugin (and make sure they have the most recent version) to view it. It's hard to learn, hard to make, and hard to keep up with Flash.
Those who like animated visuals may now do so with the help of HTML5. The greatest thing is that HTML5 works in all browsers and on all mobile phones, so developers no longer need to depend on Flash to create animated and interactive features.
Decrease in number of Visitors, Leads, and Sales
Every day, your website should be one of your most effective marketing tools, helping you get new clients, boost revenue, and expand your brand. The most effective websites include landing pages that are beautifully designed, brief contact forms and to the point, calls to action that are clearly positioned, and useful connections to the most crucial sections.
Your website is failing at its purpose if it isn't bringing in any kind of revenue in sales, leads, or conversions. Learn from your most formidable rivals by emulating their most effective strategies. Take it as a challenge to include these features on your own website.
Poor User Experience
If you want more conversions and leads, the user experience has to be easy and intuitive. To revamp your website with the highest probability of conversion, you should use statistics and scientific principles as your guiding principles. Conversion tools may boost your website's lead generation and user satisfaction.
In order to provide a satisfying experience for your site's visitors, you'll need to consider a wide range of factors. Everything from the writing to the design to the functioning is considered here. These parts need to work together to create a website that is superior to the competition and useful to visitors.
You can count on us if you're struggling to update your outdated website. Our perfect blend of ground-breaking technology, unique approaches, and experienced website designers & developers help you achieve all your website design goals and objectives. Get in touch today.