Why Do I Need My Website Redesigned?

Whatever the size or type of your business, most company owners spend a lot of time thinking about making things more effective. One of the easiest ways to bring in more customers is to ensure that your website is doing most of the hard work for you. 

Why do I need a new website?

In the world of website design and development, things change and advance very quickly – as do the online habits of consumers. With this in mind, a website is not something that can just be left to stand still whilst everything else moves past it. It has to evolve too. If a website is left alone for too long, custom will dwindle and the only option remaining is to start a redesign. 

At Essex Interactive, we’ve outlined 10 signs that you’re in need of a new website. Let’s take a look:

1. Your website offers a poor user experience. An easy-to-use, mobile-friendly website is essential for the online success of your business. With most people only using a mobile device to browse the internet these days, if your site doesn’t perform well on all devices, it’s not working to its full potential. 
2. The website content isn’t delivering the right message anymore. Although content is often the last piece to be added to a site, it is actually one of the most important elements. Writing appropriate and informative content can be difficult; words go a long way when converting readers to clients. However, if you find the right balance between good-quality content and great design, you’re halfway to success. 
3. Your readers can’t find what they’re looking for or, actions are hard to complete. Are readers able to find the information they need? Can they contact you easily? If you have answered ‘no’ to either of these questions, you are probably in need of a new site. The biggest reason is if your visitors can’t see the information they are looking for or easily navigate the site, then your website is ineffective and ultimately a wasted platform. 
4. The design is outdated. With almost every business operating online, the best way to stand out from the crowd is to create an eye-catching design. With colours, styles and trends changing often, sites can quickly become outdated. The appearance of your website has a large impact on customers’ perception of your business and that influences conversions of visitors to sales. Ultimately, people judge books by their cover. If your website looks old and un-maintained or is not mobile-friendly, visitors will leave. On the other hand, design is not solely about how the website looks. The design also encompasses how the site is used; therefore, creating a user-friendly experience is essential. 
5. Your website is not getting enough Google traffic or has failing SEO. If you can’t be found on Google, your website may as well not exist. Good SEO will mean your site will be found organically on Google, which will lead to a more constant stream of visitors. A new website will allow more SEO and therefore, more viewer to customer conversions. 
6. Your website takes too long to load. People are no longer used to waiting for a site to load, so patience in doing so is now non-existent. Users expect to access information instantly, regardless of whether they are browsing on a mobile, tablet or desktop. If your website is slow and taking more than 5 seconds to load, now is the time to look into a re-development to make speed a priority. 
7. You’re not keen to promote your site. If you or someone you have met is shy about promoting their website, it’s probably because they don’t like how it looks. When a site is left un-maintained or updated for some time, it can quickly become outdated. If you have a website, you should be proud of it! Representing your business and creating an online shopfront, your website should be an exhibition of your work that you love showing off. 
8. There are bugs on some devices and browsers. Whether it’s the form fields on a contact form not aligned or graphics overlapping, bugs on your site make things look unprofessional and can occasionally make them unusable. In the worst case, something could stop visitors from filling out the contact form, which will push them to one of your competitors. 
9. Your business is changing. Whether that is integrating a payment system or adding new services, your website should change with your business to remain representative. 
10. The design was implemented a long time ago. Although you can’t really place a shelf life on how long a website will last, its performance is a big influence. If you stay on top of the style, user features and content, your website will last a lot longer than if it had been neglected. 

Hopefully, the advice we have given you has helped you understand why updating your website is extremely important. 

Need help? Essex Interactive create bespoke websites for all industries, offering businesses the chance to develop an online display that truly represents their brand. Contact our team today.