Your company’s website is essential in making a great first impression on your clients and prospective clients. An easy to use, clean and attractive website provides credibility and trust between you and the viewers of the site. It is important that the information on your site is easy to understand, written clearly and obvious to find. Viewers can be very fickle and if their expectations are not met, they could look elsewhere for the products or services they require
We have put together a list of top reasons that suggest that you may need a new website.
UX Design
User experience (UX) has become a vital part of web design. Users expect a smooth and positive experience when using a website and if the website is not meeting their needs, they will not visit again. Examples of bad user experience include cluttered design, poor/confusing navigation, messy URLs, non-responsive design, technical issues and inconsistent typefaces.
An outdated or poorly designed site is one of the main indicators that you need a new website. A design with a clean, attractive layout and great viewing experience is vital to attract users and make your website look inviting. Creating a positive first impression is key, if users think your website design is difficult to navigate or outdated, they might leave and look for a fresh and more pleasing website.
How does your website design compare to your top competitors? Are you missing features or design elements that your competitors are using? Do you feel the website represents your business well? Are you proud to share your website with others? These questions might indicate to you that your website is outdated and could do with a new design.
Your website isn’t mobile-responsive
Websites that are not mobile-responsive can make it very difficult for users to navigate, resulting in a loss of customers and also damaging your brand’s reputation. According to Statistica, mobile traffic accounts for ‘approximately half of web traffic worldwide’ and this trend is still predicted to rise. Therefore, it is essential for websites to be optimised for mobiles and to target your customers searching for your content through mobile devices.
Slow loading times
The longer a website takes to load, the more impatient users become and it is more likely that they will leave your website and go to a different website instead.
Therefore, slow loading speeds result in less traffic and fewer conversions. Slow site speeds will also indirectly impact your website ranking in search engines because they will notice an increase in bounce rate and will think that your website is not relevant to users for that particular search therefore will decrease your ranking in Google.
Performance Indicators
If you are noticing a high recurring bounce rate, this may be an indication that your website is outdated and needs a refresh. Users may not be able to find the information they are after and leave your page. You may need to sit down with your team and discuss reasons why your site isn’t attracting users or why they can’t find the information they are after. Low conversion rates and high exit rates also indicate that your site is not performing well. You can track these key metrics using tools such as Google Analytics. If you are not already, then we highly recommend you start tracking your website’s performance.
To Summarise
There are many indicators that show your business may need a new website, these include the performance, functionality and looks of your site. A website is a place clients / prospective clients will go to get some insight into your business. It is important to create a good user experience and a great first impression.
