Your website is often the first point of contact that a customer will have with your business, and it’s the perfect opportunity to make a great first impression. If you think of your website like your smartphone, you would consider replacing/upgrading it every few years, to make sure it’s functionality is performing at the highest possible level and to keep it looking modern. So how do you know when it’s time for that much needed upgrade? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to assess whether your website is working as hard for your business as it should be.
Are you running the latest version of your CMS?
Upgrading your website software is essential for ensuring the security, performance, and overall success of your online presence. With each new version of software comes improvements in security, speed, and functionality. These upgrades can help protect your website from potential security threats, enhance the user experience, and give you access to the latest features and tools. In addition, running an outdated version of software can make your website appear outdated and unprofessional, and limit your access to support and resources. Upgrading your website software can pay big dividends in terms of improved security, better performance, and a more engaging and successful online presence. So if your website has not been upgraded in several years, it may be time to consider re-platforming to a more modern software, and if a re-design is on your radar it makes perfect sense to complete it alongside your upgrade.
Does your website reflect your brand?
Your brand and your messaging evolves over time, but has your website evolved along with them? First impressions count, and they can often be the difference in earning a customer and not a bounce. A website that accurately reflects your brand will help you to establish trust and credibility with your target audience, and create a strong and memorable online presence. By showcasing your brand’s personality, values, and unique selling points through your website, you can differentiate yourself from your competitors. Additionally, a website that accurately reflects your brand can help to build brand recognition and recall, and make it easier for customers to remember your brand and find you when they are ready to make a purchase. Don’t settle for a generic, cookie-cutter website that fails to accurately reflect your brand, invest in a website that truly reflects your brand, and watch as it helps grow your business.
Is your website slow to load?
How many times have you headed back to the search results after becoming impatient with a website? Page speed is a huge factor in determining how well or (badly) your website is performing. A slow-loading website can be frustrating for your visitors and can negatively impact your brand’s reputation. These days people have become accustomed to getting the content that they want swiftly and are unlikely to hang around and wait more than a few seconds for a website to load. A slow load time not only impacts your reputation, it can hurt your sales and your Google search ranking, as Google prioritises site speed when determining a website’s search ranking. If your website takes longer than 4 or 5 seconds to load, then it may be time to look into ways to improve your site speed, and perhaps a larger website audit at the same time.
How is your user journey experience?
A user journey experience refers to the series of interactions that a user will have on your website from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave, and taking a walk in your customers’ shoes is a necessary process that can positively impact your business. If your website has poor navigation, hard to find information, is lacking call-to-actions, inaccessible content, and has an overall confusing user journey, it will have a negative impact on your business. Your website needs to be designed with the user in mind to ensure that every interaction they have with your website is a positive one. This may involve optimising the websites navigation, content, layout, and functionality to ensure that it meets the customers expectations/If users can’t find what your company does, what you offer, and how to contact you, that’s a major problem. If this sounds familiar, you should be thinking about a redesign right away.
If you find yourself pondering the answers to these questions, it’s time to start thinking about a new website.
We’ve been trusted by global clients for nearly two decades to solve their website challenges, from diagnosis to resolution into growth. No matter the point of entry for your challenge, we’re on hand to make sure your website not only performs but exceeds expectations. We can help plan out your user journey, re-evaluate your website structure and give your website its well-deserved refresh.
