Why It’s Time to Refresh Your Website
On first glance, it might not seem like a priority, but having a website that was last updated in 2017 can be an issue. You simply can’t update the blog once in a while or add new photos to the portfolio or gallery. Every industry has been made dramatically more competitive now that an online presence has become the cornerstone of digital marketing.
Keep in mind that a website refresh or redesign is not about changing every single thing about the website or your branding. The important part of a redesign is looking at the functionality of a website and optimizing it to meet the requirements of current technology.
So, while there are no real reasons to not redesign a website, we’re going to touch on some excellent reasons why you’re long past due for a revamp.
6 Reasons To Get a Website Redesign
1. The Purpose of Your Website Has Changed
Most companies have a fluid marketing strategy that reflects their growth and development and products or services. You don’t have to alter the website every time you switch up your marketing goals, but you should always think about how your branding changes and if the current messages on the site match your latest marketing methods. This is especially true if the marketing strategy affects your conversion funnel.
That said, if you haven’t taken a hard look at your marketing and branding recently, then it’s going to be more than your website that needs work!
When the purpose of your site changes, make sure that you also update the layout. Change over any CTAs and revise the most popular pages.
2. Your Site Needs to be Responsive
We live in a world today where everyone looks at a screen at least once a day. You need a website that mingles with that behavior. Basically, you need a website that is ready to be displayed on a phone, a computer, a tablet, and another smart device. If it’s not capable of doing that, you’re missing out.
Salesforce conducted a study that concluded that 83% of mobile users believe a seamless experience between devices is highly important. People want information when they want it, how they want it; if your website is incapable of giving them that, they’ll go somewhere else.
Teaming up with a website design firm is one way to get introduced to content management systems. They can also create various versions of your website and fine-tune the revamp so it is more responsive than ever before.
3. You Want to Make a Better User Experience
The user experience, or UX, has become integral to website design because Google and other search engines are paying close attention to how people react to your website. UX revolves around the experience a visitor has when they come to your site, including how they feel and the ease at which they can navigate.
When a site is slow to load, difficult to figure out, or is extremely complex, it can create negative feelings. The visitor leaves, and you’ve lost a lead. This might not seem like a problem initially, but studies have found that 88% of consumers rarely return to a website after a negative experience.
If your website is lagging, confusing, or doesn’t seem to meet user expectations, it’s time for a redesign. To improve UX, website designers in Philadelphia consider user behavior, the goals of your website, and also implement analytics for continuous improvement.
4. The Competition is Racing Past You
Check out the websites of your competitors. Are they utilizing the latest technology and trends? Is their information more current than yours? Does everything feel fresh and new, even if they have been around for decades? Chances are that their websites are doing much better than yours in ranking.
Any time your competitor makes a significant change to the design of their site, you should do a bit of research on why. Then you get your website up to par with theirs. This will ensure that your site remains in the race.
5. You’re Launching New Products or Services
After a couple years of business, you launch a new product or service that doesn’t match what you did in the past. If that product or service clashes with what’s currently on your site or doesn’t fit into the structure, you can’t ignore that. Instead, consider redeveloping the site to showcase the latest sales goals rather than ones from the past.
6. You Want to Follow Design Trends
You have probably noticed how design trends can shift in the blink of an eye. Graphic and web design go through the same motions, sometimes switching from modern features to retro then back again. But if you aren’t keeping your website design current, you might be losing new and old customers alike.
Design trends aren’t just about the thematic elements or color palette of your website. It’s about global preference. That is why the clutter and glitter of the 2000s has been pushed aside for cleaner, more minimalistic websites.
If your website looks like it’s an HTML project from your 2008 high school graphic class, it’s definitely time to update your website and bring it out of the internet dark ages.
Final Thoughts on Updating Your Website
There are countless benefits to redesigning your website. When you regularly maintain and update your website, you can bring yourself back up in ranks, overcome the competition, and show your customers that you’re interested in their online experience.
According to the pros—the graphic design and website designers of Philadelphia—you should revamp your website every 2-3 years. If you wait much longer than that, your website becomes less secure, less reputable, and risks dropping off the SERPs.
Wondering how to get your website updated? Call in the Hyland Graphics team. We have experienced frontend and backend web developers and designers who will transform your outdated site into something awesome. Get in touch with us today.
