7 Signs Your Site Needs a Redesign
3-1-2016Technology ages in dog years, every normal year that passes equates to seven years in the tech world. Spotting outdated websites is easy to see, but there are also some underlying reasons why you may want to consider a redesign. Here are some items to investigate within your current website to see if you are in need of a redesign.
1. It Does Not Display Well on Mobile Devices
Google’s algorithm changed in 2015 for searches on mobile devices. Every business now needs a website that can display well on phones, also known as mobile-friendly. Smartphones have bypassed desktop searches and account for as much as 60% of all online searches. Not having a mobile-friendly or responsive website will hurt your business, if not today, then in the very near future.
Tip: Not sure how your site is ranked? Check out Google’s mobile-friendly test and read our article on Responsive Design to learn more.
2. No Content Management System
Content Management Systems, or CMS’s, have jumped leaps and bounds in the past five years to keep up with responsive websites. Our team at AVIBE has completely revamped our custom CMS to reflect the necessity of devising a system that is intuitive and flexible for the portable devices so prevalent today. One of our largest pet-peeves is seeing a website that has a very outdated copyright date. The copyright date is so simple to update, but seeing that it is 2 or more years old makes your content seem out of date and unreliable. Having a CMS allows your team to update content at any time; with content being the most important factor for viewers and SEO, this becomes extremely valuable for your company. If you are still relying on web firms to update your content, it is time to upgrade to a scalable solution.
3. Visitor Bounce Rates
We love working with our clients on their website Search Engine Optimization to ensure it performs just as well in searches as it displays. Using Google Analytics, it is easy to check on bounce rates for your website. A bounce rate means a user left on the same page they entered on. If the homepage bounce looks like a great test score, you have some serious problems. Google also uses this information for rankings within searches, and a high bounce rate tells search engines that visitors do not like what they see on your website.
4. You Have a ‘Frankenstein’ Website
Ok, while your website may not literally have angry, torch-wielding villagers chasing it, if you have made many small updates to your website over numerous years without consider the overall design, it may be considered a Frankenstein site. Having multiple places where your website does not match the original design can create a negative attitude of your company by your customers. One place we see this often is with blogs being in a different website, like WordPress. A web strategist can help you create a plan for a strongly branded and integrated website.
Tip: Stay away from cluttered content and stick to a great color palette throughout the website. You can play with colors using Adobe Color.
5. Your Competitors Are Killing It
While your website may look fine, your competitor’s website may look amazing. Websites only have a few seconds to capture the audience’s attention or users will go somewhere else. Your website is your virtual storefront, and needs to looks its best. In the internet age where the visual display is king, your customers should not view your website as a joker.
6. Weak Speed or Performance
Users expect websites to load in two seconds or less; if it doesn’t, a large share of people will click to another site. If a competitor’s website loads 250 milliseconds faster than yours, research has shown that many people will choose the faster loading website. Keeping your page load time to a minimum will make your customers, and search engines, very happy.
Learn More: Read our article Designing for Performance to get more information on designing and optimizing websites.
7. The Design is Outdated
We understand how fast trends can come and go, but exceptional design can stand the test of time. Unless your brand sells to a trendy demographic, stay away from what’s hot right now and choose a design that will look good years into the future; choosing a redesign also applies if your brand or services have changed since the website began and your design no longer matches your company. An aesthetically pleasing website translates into trust from your customers.
While design is important, having a functional website that works for both your company and your customers is key. Website performance, capable displays, and fresh, updated content will make your business stand out among your competitors. AVIBE’s team of web strategists, talented designers, and knowledgeable developers can help you achieve this goal! Schedule a Consultation, or contact our Marketing Specialist at 503.296.8499 to learn more!
