With web development, there is always a need to keep up with the latest technology and trends for your website to function effectively. If you created your website five years ago and haven't made any updates, you’re probably doing things wrong. If you’re expecting to get the same results as your competitors whose website is up to date, then you might just be waiting for nought. These are some tell-tale signs that your website is in dire need of a makeover.
Lacks a Responsive Design
Websites that aren’t updated for a responsive design burdens their visitors as they are unable to fully experience web content on a mobile device. A responsive website can accommodate a mobile or tablet screen so your visitors won’t have to constantly zoom in or out while viewing desktop site content. Considering that 50% of users are surfing the web through their mobile phones, updating your site with a responsive design will surely increase traffic from these devices.
Takes too Long to Load
According to some research from Google, most people won’t stick around to wait for a website that takes more than three seconds to load. So if your website takes a while to load, you are likely losing potential customers. To know how fast your website loads, you can test its speed using tools like gtmetrix.com or tools.pingdom.com. Unless your site’s load time is 2 seconds or less, like customers expect it should, your site definitely needs a redesign.
Poor Navigation
Another thing that can frustrate viewers is struggling to move from one page to another. A person visiting any website will want to find what they are looking for with a click of a button, or rather, a few clicks. If they have to search high and low and traverse a maze just to get to their destination, then you can’t expect them to stay for long. Improve your site’s navigation to give your visitors a smoother experience that will leave a lasting impression.
Increased Bounce Rate
If your data shows that a high percentage of your visitors are viewing merely a single page on your site without interacting with it and navigating elsewhere, you may have a high bounce rate. A high bounce rate usually occurs when most users have an unpleasant first impression of your site. This indicates that your website doesn’t provide enough positive impact for them to be interested in viewing other pages. A redesign of the whole site may be the solution.
It’s Not in Line with Your Brand Anymore
Has there been a change in your brand that's not highlighted on your website? Then that may be where your problem lies and why you’re losing potential customers. Users may be navigating to your site from an intriguing advertisement only for them to land on a page with completely different content. If you’ve made any changes to your brand, your site should immediately be updated to attract the right traffic for your business to earn clients. That being said, any advertisements prior to a brand renewal need to be taken down and replaced as well.
No Conversion
If your site is getting some traffic but no conversion, then it's high time you redesign your site. Aside from reinventing your site to give a more modern feel, your content has to be just as fresh and enticing to compel visitors to want to know more. You may also have an ineffective call-to-action (CTA) that's not grabbing your visitor's attention as it should. If the percentage of users that click your websites’ CTA is too low, try to change it up by using strong action words paired with an irresistible offer on a time limit.
Over to You
If your website is experiencing even some or all of the above signs, you need to take action immediately. Increase your business’s growth by redesigning your site. It may seem like a costly investment initially, but you’ll be surprised how just reinventing your site can affect its performance. Whether you choose to accomplish this upgrade yourself or hire a web developer to do it professionally, it’s out with the old and in with the new.
