A store that features its original design might seem like a novelty, but it is a carefully redesigned masterpiece that keeps the front-end beauty and upgraded all the technical and practical specs. With websites, the matter is different. We have likely yet to reach the golden age of website design, which means that all old websites will only look outdated and likely unsafe.
Your website is your digital store front. It needs to stand out, it needs to provide an exceptional experience, and it needs to encourage customers to return. An old website is one that cannot fulfill on this promise.With the right SEO agency and web design team, you can redesign your website without losing the progress you have made. It can be quite the investment, yes, but if your site is showing these six signs then it is time to make the leap:
1. It’s Not Mobile-First
5.13 billion people have cell phones, and 51% of internet traffic is being taken up by mobile users. It’s no wonder with these facts that Google has pushed companies to be more mobile-friendly. In fact, they not only want you to be more mobile-friendly, they want you to be mobile-first. If your site is not even responsive and instead formats terribly on a phone, then it is time for a redesign.
2. It Has Outdated Information
Though you can update pages and posts (and should, it’s great for your SEO!), outdated information can be a big sign that your site’s design is also outdated. Thankfully, when you get SEO web design done for your site, everything, from the structure to the design, to even the content can be improved.
3. It Has Lost or Broken Pages
Another structural issue that is a good indicator it has been far too long since your site was audited and redesigned is that you have plenty of lost pages or broken links. Pages that don’t link anywhere on your site, for example, cannot often be found by customers, but search engines know they are there.
Broken links, however, are bad for business both for algorithms and for customers, and redesigning the site structure is a great time for a design update.
4. It Looks Outdated
Have a look at your competitor’s sites. Do they look modern, do they have cool features that you wish your website had? Make a list of all the design features you are considering adding to your own website. It’s a great place to start when making a redesign wish list.
5. It Has Been More Than Five Years
If your site hasn’t been updated or redesigned in over five years it’s time for an update. Old websites are easily spotted and if your design is outdated, chances are your system and security is outdated as well. Even if that isn’t true, that is what your customers and visitors will be thinking.
6. Your Marketing Efforts Haven’t Been Pulling Through
PPC, paid social, PR, and even traditional marketing today will all be funneling traffic to your website. This is great, unless your site also has a high bounce rate. What this means is that visitors come to your site, don’t like what they see, and immediately click off. With a site redesign that focusses on SEO and improving the content you can improve all your marketing efforts and see greater sales in the future.
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Interesting relevant article: “What is a website?”