From a marketing standpoint, few things are more important these days than your company website and how it looks to those who visit. If your website is old, outdated or otherwise suffering in performance or content, however, you could be at a major disadvantage – and even for those who are not experts in the digital marketing world, there are often some signs that this is happening to your website.
At BWP Communications, it\’s our pride to offer a number of marketing and ad agency services to numerous featured clients around Salt Lake City and nearby areas, including a full suite of digital marketing – and web design is one key piece of this puzzle. What are some of the telltale signs we often warn clients about that their website is in need of a redesign or update? Here are the most notable to be aware of.
Traffic and Conversion Rates Dropping
In many cases, the first and most obvious sign that something is wrong with your website is when there\’s a drop in the number of visitors or conversions to your site from organic search. This can be due to numerous issues, including outdated content, poor optimization, or even a negative reputation online for your business.
For instance, outdated content can cause your website to be flagged by search engines like Google as lacking in relevance, or even worse – having incorrect information and being marked as \”spammy\”. Poor optimization means you\’re missing out on the chance to make it easier for potential customers to find your business online. And a negative reputation could simply mean that people have had bad experiences with your company in the past and are therefore less likely to visit or convert on your website.
No Updates in Years
Another sign that it\’s time for a website redesign is when you haven\’t had any updates in several years – if ever. A stale and outdated design can make potential customers feel like your business isn\’t reliable or trustworthy, and is likely to cause them to look elsewhere for their needs. Additionally, if your website isn\’t optimized for mobile devices, you\’re missing out on a major segment of the online shopping population – so it\’s important that you make sure your site is up-to-date when it comes to design and content.
Finding Broken Links or Dead Pages
You should be monitoring the pages of your website on a regular basis, and there are a few different things to be looking for while doing so. One is broken links, which can be an indication that the content on your site hasn\’t been updated in a while or has been removed – and this can cause visitors to leave your website quickly.
Additionally, you should check for any dead pages (pages where no information is present) as these could also point to issues with your site\’s design or content that need to be addressed.
You\’re Changing Your Branding
While this isn\’t necessarily a \”sign\” per se, it\’s still important to consider when it comes time for a website redesign. If you\’re changing your branding (logo, colors, slogans, etc.), then it makes sense that you should also update your website with the new look and feel of your business – as this will ensure a consistent story across all of your digital channels.
In many cases, such a branding change serves as a key opportunity to start from scratch with a new website that reflects the brand you\’re looking to build and market. For example, let\’s say you\’ve just opened a new store or added products to your lineup – you could use this as an opportunity to create a website with fresh content and visuals, helping ensure your company is presenting itself in the best possible light.
Functionality is Broken
In other cases, you may find that the functionality of your website is broken in some way, shape or form – and this could be due to a number of different factors. It might be that images aren\’t loading correctly, navigation isn\’t working as intended, or forms are not submitting properly.
Whatever the issue may be, it\’s important to address it sooner rather than later – as a website with broken functionality can make customers feel frustrated and, ultimately, leave your site.
Increasing Bounce Rates
When we talk about bounce rates, we\’re referring to the percentage of visitors to your website that leave without taking any further action. This could be due to a number of things, but one thing it can indicate is a lack of engaging content on your site – which could be a sign that it\’s time for a website redesign.
Having an easy-to-use interface with well-crafted content is essential when it comes to keeping customers engaged and encouraging them to move further along the sales funnel. If your website isn\’t providing this, then it might be time for a refresh – one that takes into account the needs of your target audience.
These are just a few signs that could mean it\’s time for you to think about redesigning your website. By making sure your website is up-to-date and optimized for its intended purpose, you can ensure that potential customers have a great experience when visiting – which will help drive more sales and leads.
For more on this, or to learn about our web design or any of our other ad agency or marketing solutions for SLC clients, speak to our team at BWP Communications today.
