Rachel Hand — August 16, 2017 — August 16, 2017
markusspiske / Pixabay
I’m sure it feels like you have only just had your website updated, but as 2013 fades into a distant memory you realize it’s actually been 4 years. That’s four years since the world was addicted to playing candy crush, the iPhone 5s was born and we all couldn’t stop singing Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’. Even though it might feel like (August 17, 2017), so much in the world of websites has changed.
Your website plays such a huge role in the success of your business. It is your digital presence online and thus should be a true reflection of your brand and company. All while being optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and UX (User Experience) functionalities. By taking the time and money to invest in a really good website, you’re portraying your company in a way you want to be seen by your customers.
We have done our research and come up with a way to figure out if you need that all-important update.
Brand Changes
It could be possible that you were happy with your new website and a couple of years on you have decided to refresh your brand, maybe the logo, color palette, or even maybe changing the products/services you provide. Your website should reflect your business as it is now, not 3 or 4 years ago.
Poor Organic SEO
Every website should be built so that it compasses simple SEO compliance. This means adding title tags and meta descriptions on all pages, having a current address and phone number known as NAP, customer reviews, alt tags on images, the list goes on. Simply put your search engine ranking matters. If your website isn’t SEO compliant then you are going to rank poorly.
Are you Mobile First?
While your 2013 website might look great on desktop, have you checked it out on your mobile devices? How often do you just pull your phone out of your pocket or pick up your tablet during the evening to search for something? We all do it. That’s why it is so important to make sure you don’t just build a desktop website and a mobile website, but you make your website design mobile first. Don’t miss out on website traffic and potential sales, you can’t afford to. Even Google has added ‘mobile first’ to its ranking factors for 2017.
Slow Loading Speeds
It’s simple really, people like websites that load fast. Site speed is also an essential ranking factor for Google. How fast a site performs is all part of helping create a better User Experience (UX) for your customers. If they enjoy the site then this will increase the time they spend on there, increasing your brand exposure and conversions.
Difficult Navigation
Everything on your website should be an easy 3 clicks away for your customers. Navigation affects how long you can keep customers on your site, if your customers can’t find what they are looking for within 3 clicks, they are likely to bounce back off the site. So when you are designing the UX consider how easy your site is to use.
Out-of-Date Content
When you first designed your website, the content on there may have been completely up-to-date and relevant. It doesn’t just stop when your website goes live. To help rank higher in Google searches you should keep your content fresh and think about updating what’s on there monthly, maybe through adding blogs or news pieces. Content relevant in 2013 will more than likely not be relevant in 2017. So, don’t forget about it.
Looks Old Fashioned
The User Interface (UI) of your website should display you and your business instantly. As we have mentioned previously it takes … seconds to make a first impression. What impression do you get when you visit an old fashioned looking website? You bounce straight back off usually and click the next website in the search results. Draw your customers in with a fresh, modern and forward-thinking design.
Out Dated Technology
It’s that moment when you click onto a website and all you see are blocks of text and white boxes, then you get a pop up asking you to install a different/older version of flash player to view the images or video. It just looks really unprofessional and it will put your potential customers off. We are the laziest generation and people want to see the information they have asked for without having to do anything themselves. You could be hurting your business if you don’t update ASAP.
So, there you go. Is it time for an update?
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