Having a website that functions and looks great is essential for a business of any size. As a small business owner, you have a ton of priorities and updating your website might not be at the very top of that list. Understanding when you need a website redesign can be an important part of your marketing success.
Here we will take a look at the reasons you might want to consider a website redesign. While this chat discusses why you would redesign you must be careful when you redesign to consider the impact on your users and SEO. A good design company will have special considerations during a redesign to protect (and even improve) your search rankings. The last thing you want to do is take a high ranking site and tank search performance with an updated look and feel.
1. Your website is 5 years or older
Technology and trends change fast in the world of technology, with users expecting (and deserving) the best in technology and experience. What worked 6 or 7 years ago may not work so well today.
Aesthetics
Websites older than 5 years might not be taking advantage of the latest design and/or user experience trends. Website that feel dated have less credibility and will perform worse in conversions (more on that below). If your site is older than 5 years, take a hard look at your site compared to competition to see how it compares.
Technology
Moore’s law states technology gets faster and cheaper over time. If your website was designed over 5 years ago, there is a chance it is not running on the latest technology. This is especially true if you outsourced your design at one point and have not updated it regularly. Speak with your design company (or someone knowledgeable) about the technology and if it needs to be updated.
Older technology can have a number of negative impacts:
- Site speed: Older technology might lead to a slower site, which disappoints both users and search engines.
- Reduced features: New features and technology become available all the time. If your site is running older technology, you might not have the features you need to compete. Do your competitors have features you don’t?
The great news is that technology is, in many ways, cheaper and more accessible than it was in the past. When redesigning your site (if you choose) make sure you have a way to keep it updated in the future.
2. Metrics are down (or trending negatively)
If you see decreases in key web metrics , like visits, bounce rate, time on site, it might be time for a redesign. A redesign might improve your aesthetics, user features, and SEO that are key to a healthy website.
To consider a redesign, take a hard look at the metrics you think are critical and the trend over time. A simple dip for a month or two in a few metrics might not be grounds to consider a redesign, but a longer consistent downward trend is concerning.
If this is your grounds for a redesign, be sure that your redesign addresses the key issues you are seeing in the metrics. For example, if organic visitors are down, the redesign should specifically address SEO. Make sure your regularly monitor the metrics after the redesign to ensure you were successful.
3. Complaints or negative feedback
No one should ever hear the phrase “It was hard to order on your site” or “I couldn’t find what I was looking for”. While you might hear this once in a while, if you are consistently hearing negative comments or have negative reviews about your site, you might need to consider a redesign.
If you are redesigning based on negative comments, turn this into a positive. You can craft a campaign or messaging that says – hey we hear you and made changes. This is a huge opportunity to improve brand image, create goodwill, and connect in a real way with customers.
4. Your website is not mobile friendly
As of February 2022, 57.38 percent of all web traffic came through mobile phones. If your site is not mobile friendly, it needs to be. You are leaving customers out and providing a poor experience.
Full stop. Nothing more to say, just get it fixed.
5. Your content is not front and center
Many small business sites are (or started as) digital business cards. Adding content to your site has a ton of benefits, from brand image to SEO to user experience.
By crafting a content-first strategy you will create the opportunity for growth and to be a bigger player in the digital space. No matter your business, you CAN create content. Own a plumbing business? Great – create articles and how tos to maintain home plumbing systems. Have a restaurant? Awesome – share stories of how you came to be, recipes, and why you are in the business. Get creative, and create content.
During a redesign to put content first, make sure you are integrating the content where it needs to be. Make it easy to find your information and articles right from the navigation and front page.
6. Your website look bad when compared to competition
A report by Stanford found that three-quarters of people judge a company by their web design. If your website was built 5 years ago or more, there is a good chance that your design may be dated or look stale.
The best way to check if aesthetics are a problem is to honestly compare your site side by side with both your competition and sites you love. If you feel you might be too biased, ask a professional designer or company to step in. They will be well versed in the latest design tactics and can provide feedback on aesthetics.
Getting an honest outside opinion based on best design practices is more helpful than you might think. Design is subjective, but designers are skilled about best practices and keeping your site updated in look and feel.
View Marketing Resources for more info on what goes into a redesign.
