A company’s website is the center of its brand identity and customer relations. The vast majority of consumers will check websites before they choose where to purchase goods or services, so it’s important that the website makes a great first impression. If it’s old, outdated, or otherwise ineffective, customers or clients will look elsewhere for what they need.
Few business owners want to invest in web design services if they’re not truly needed. However, redesigning an outdated website is one investment that will pay for itself over time in increased sales. Read on to find out about the signs it’s time to update a company’s website to see if it’s worth finding a web design professional.
1. The Site Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
Mobile-friendliness is the new standard for reaching customers, so it should be viewed as a clear benchmark for designing a new website or redesigning an existing one. It’s not just that over half of all browsers use their phones or tablets instead of computers to shop online. Google’s search algorithms also favor websites that work well on mobile devices.
2. The Website Looks Outdated
Modern consumers expect far more from a website than they did even ten years ago. Technology and trends change fast, and business owners need to keep up if they want their companies to remain competitive. Use competitors’ websites as a benchmark. If they look cleaner, sharper, and easier to use than your company’s current site, it’s time to hire a web designer.
3. It’s Hard to Find Relevant Information
If business owners notice that their websites have a high bounce rate, it usually indicates that visitors aren’t finding what they’re looking for. In some cases, rewriting and rearranging content or targeting different keywords may be enough to resolve this problem. However, if it takes multiple clicks for users to get to the content they need or users need to download PDFs, scroll sideways to view images, or adjust their zoom settings to read infographics, it’s time to consider a full redesign.
4. Slow Loading Speeds
The website’s pages should not take longer than three seconds to load. If it takes longer than that for users to view the content they’re looking for, it can hurt traffic and customer conversion rates. Optimizing images, evaluating plug-ins, and minimizing CSS are all great ways to reduce page load times.
5. Security Issues
Online security is absolutely essential, which is why Google now flags websites that don’t have SSL Certificates. If the company’s website doesn’t use SSL security, it needs to be updated ASAP. Business owners who aren’t sure if their websites are SSL secured can look at the URL. If there’s not a padlock symbol with the word “secure,” it’s time for a redesign.
Trust the Pros
Designing the perfect website for a company takes a lot of work and specialized skills. Business owners are well-advised to leave this kind of work to the professionals. Find a company that offers both web design and search engine optimization services to take full advantage of what these experts have to offer.
