We all have that one uncle who insists that his Miami Vice inspired wardrobe will stand the test of time. He has the same Hawaiian button-up shirt that he had in 1984, and he says it’s never going to leave.
Then, he shows up to your backyard barbecue and sees all the men wearing shorts without cargo pockets, loose-fitting tanks with lazily-placed leis, and flip-flops. Meanwhile, he has his beloved Hawaiian shirt, dress slacks, and boat shoes.
He looks over to you as if to say “why didn’t I get the memo?” All you can think is how you tried to tell him that wasn’t the style anymore. Sure, it’s functional. It worked once, but the style has changed, and now he’s here looking like it’s still 1984 in the middle of 2018.
There are a multitude of reasons to consider a website redesign, but here I discuss some of the most pressing, and why you need to quit convincing yourself that yours is “just fine” the way it is.
First Impressions Matter –
Your website is the very first thing prospective clients see that represents your business. It needs to be appealing. It needs to not only catch their attention, but it needs to keep it. A modern look is essential. It should be clean and simple and visually appealing. Too many buttons, pages, lack of white space, etc. are all distracting and make your site look unorganized.
User Experience (UX) –
We live in an era where attention spans are short-lived and technology and advertising are competing at all levels to maintain individuals’ attention in order to obtain their engagement. User experience is the new “new” to website design, and it ensures your website can stand toe to toe with your competitors and makes you think of your audience more in depth while designing a website that leaves them feeling like they had a great experience.
In order to achieve a great user experience, you need to consider the end-goal of your website and what you hope to gain from your users, and you need to understand your users’ behavior. You can keep track of user behavior by implementing a user analytics software and making changes accordingly based on the feedback from that software.
Outdated and Clunky –
There’s nothing worse than going shopping for a home and walking into a showing to find that everything is outdated. You’ll have to update the floors, the bathroom finishes, the cabinets and countertops in the kitchen, everything is cluttered and the floor plan is maze-like, and it’s simply overwhelming and off putting.
Your website is the same way. You have great services to offer, but you need to present them in a format that is up to date and easy to use. If your website is slow, has a lot of clutter, and isn’t mobile friendly, users won’t stick around too long, and you won’t get the conversions you seek.
You will want to make sure all of your links work properly, that you are linking back to pages that are still relevant, and that it’s simple for someone to browse through your site and find what they’re looking for easily.
Educate Yourself on the Buyer’s Journey, and Implement it –
Inbound marketing plays a huge role in modern conversion strategies. You need to create a website that follows a buyer through his or her journey from the initial question of “what” it is that they need through to them making the end decision to use your services. You need to ask yourself who your buyers are and what type of buyers you want to attract to your services. Put yourself in their shoes. This element of your website is extremely important as it is your opportunity to anticipate your customers’ needs and fulfill them at any stage of their journey. If you make it easy for them to find the answers to their questions on your site, they won’t have any reason to go elsewhere to find what they are looking for.
Inbound marketing is exactly what its name suggests; it is a way to gain leads and conversions by letting the customers come to you, rather than you having to chase them.
Your Branding Isn’t Up to Date –
You have done a complete overhaul of your company brand. That takes a great deal of time and results-driven thought. You wanted something more in-line with current trends that would stand the test of time.
You must put the same effort toward the rebranding of your website. It goes beyond a color pallet and a logo plug and change here and there. Your website needs to evoke the same reaction as your new and improved brand.
If your website is not currently doing this, then you need to consider updating it pronto.
Lead Conversion –
Your website should be generating leads for you. After all, what’s the point in having one at all if this is not the case? Is your website generating the same traffic it has in the past? Is it generating the amount of conversions you need?
If your website isn’t bringing in leads as frequently as it should be, you probably need to take a new approach to how you utilize your website for this purpose. Revisit your landing pages and see if they are easy to follow.
Are your call-to-actions (CTAs) direct and clear in meaning? Prospective leads should not be deterred because your website is confusing or landing pages are awkwardly linked to CTAs.
Concluding Thoughts –
Don’t be like your uncle stuck in 1984. Get up to speed and stay up to speed when it comes to your website. It’s an invaluable marketing tool for your business, and it is absolutely necessary that you use it to its full potential. If your website is lacking in any of these areas, it might be time to take that next step and redesign your site.
