Websites are frequently the first thing people see about any online presence, so it’s crucial to keep them updated to satisfy your audience’s shifting needs. A website redesign can help you accomplish your objectives, whether you’re introducing a new product or service, updating your brand, or trying to improve user experience.
But how can you tell when a website needs to be redesigned? The following are some warning signs and symptoms:
1. Subpar Search Results
An indication that your website needs to be redesigned is having bad SEO. Finding potential consumers online naturally can be difficult if your website is not optimized for search engines. As a result, there may be less traffic, less lead generation, and fewer conversions. By applying best practices, such as content optimization for keywords, site structure, navigation enhancements, and mobile-friendliness testing, a website redesign can assist in enhancing your website’s SEO.
Although Google considers User Experience (UX) to be one of the most important elements when assessing a website’s position for a certain search phrase, the impact of design on SEO rankings is frequently neglected. A non-responsive design was regarded as the top reason for users to leave a website in a survey done by GoodFirms in 2021. Reduced conversions can be the result of your business’s inability to maximize its potential on organic search result pages due to a bad user experience. Check out our article on what search engines are now taking into account when ranking domains and what you can do to improve for a better method of optimization.
2. An outdated website
It can be difficult to decide whether your outdated website needs to be redesigned. You might not need to make any adjustments if your website is mobile-friendly, has solid rankings, and has a low bounce rate. It’s best to leave your website alone if it fulfills its intended purpose and your users like it. Keep in mind that your ideal customer should come first while designing your website! A website makeover, however, can be the solution you need if your website isn’t functioning well in the first three areas and appears antiquated.
A custom website design could also be a key component of your new marketing objectives if you want to grow your company and attract more potential clients. In this situation, it’s crucial to make sure your content strategy and redesign approach work together to get the desired effects.
Unfortunately, the lifecycle of websites is getting shorter and shorter due to variables including shifting search trends, search engine requirements, and UX standards. According to recent projections, sites are diminishing and lasting just over 2 1/2 years. We understand that keeping up with such a demand could seem hard, but as long as each decision you make about your website advances its relevance, health, and rating, you will always be in good shape.
3. Your website is not mobile-friendly
Having a responsive website is essential in today’s mobile-first environment (we wrote in-depth about this for you a few months ago). Your audience will struggle to access and interact with your content on their mobile devices if your website doesn’t adjust to multiple screen widths. A responsive website can increase user experience and help you reach a larger audience.
61% of visitors won’t ever return to a website that isn’t responsive to mobile devices. You can use Google’s free mobile-friendly tool to see whether your website is responsive to mobile devices. Please feel free to contact us for a review if you need any help.
4. Your site is sluggish
You lose visitors if your website takes longer than three seconds to load. Users may become impatient with slow-loading websites and leave before ever having a chance to view your material. You may improve your website’s performance, user experience, and overall brand perception by redesigning it.
Your firm may suffer from a slow website. In 2019, Google paid for a study by 55 and Deloitte that revealed significant boosts in conversion rates were achieved by cutting mobile site load times by just one-tenth of a second. Particularly, conversions on retail websites rose by 8.4%, while those for vacation websites rose by 10.1%.
Due to the widespread availability of high-speed internet connections in the US, individuals have grown incredibly impatient today. Customers will quit your website if it takes too long to load. Visit our post on the significance of bounce rates for more information.
You may attract more traffic and boost your company’s profitability by modernizing your site and creating it on a quicker platform.
5. Updating your website is difficult.
Are you still finding modifying your website to be a very laborious task? Since Content Management Systems (CMS) have advanced so much in recent years, some website changes can now be handled without the assistance of a developer. Keeping your material up to date for your visitors necessitates frequent website updates that take into account their needs and current search trends. By using an intuitive CMS, you can speed up the process of maintaining the website’s relevance.
The online representation of your business is your website. Your business will be significantly impacted if you make sure that your website satisfies the needs of your users. It could be a good idea to think about investing in a website redesign if you believe that your website fits into any of these categories. See our article on selecting the best CMS.
6. Your website lacks security
Every day, on average, 50 000 websites are compromised. A website that lacks adequate security measures is susceptible to cyberattacks that may compromise users’ sensitive data, including login credentials, credit card information, and other personal information. In the current digital era, where data breaches are getting more frequent and customers are becoming more concerned with their online privacy and security, this is extremely alarming.
An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a critical security feature that websites should use. It encrypts communication between a website and its users, guaranteeing that any information sent is secure and cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. Users may tell their connection to a website is secure by looking for a padlock icon in the URL bar of websites that have SSL certificates.
Users may be reluctant to submit any personal information or make purchases on a website without an SSL certificate or other security precautions in place, which can negatively affect the website’s credibility and reputation. To secure your consumers’ data and increase their faith in your company, it is crucial to take security precautions into account when redesigning your website. This can involve putting in place secure login procedures, utilizing firewalls, and updating plugins and software to make sure that any vulnerabilities are fixed right away. Keep your website updated and maintained once you’ve finished redesigning it to prevent security risks (as well as general audience and user annoyance).
7. Your website lacks a brand identity.
Potential clients frequently interact with your brand for the first time on your website. It’s critical that your website accurately conveys the principles of your brand. Confusion, mistrust, and a lack of engagement with your target audience can result from the style or content of your website not being consistent with your brand.
By infusing your brand’s visual identity, tone of voice, personality, and messaging throughout the website, a website redesign can aid in aligning your website with your brand. This can involve adhering to your brand requirements for the same color scheme, typeface, and graphics. It can also entail editing the text on your website to make sure it appropriately captures the essence of your company.
A website that reflects your brand can assist increase brand awareness and foster customer loyalty among your target market. You can create a powerful brand identity that connects with customers by delivering a consistent brand image across all touchpoints, such as your website, social media accounts, and other marketing channels.
Check out these articles about branding for further information:
Design: Developing Stronger Brands|
How to Build a Successful Brand: Copy that Ranks
How to Build a Successful Brand: Messaging Framework
In Conclusion
Redesigning your website can enhance user experience, expand your audience, and match your brand. It’s time for a makeover if you notice any of the warning flags listed above. Contact our experts at Creative ALT to make sure your website satisfies the requirements and objectives of your company.