New Website? 4 Signs You’re Overdue for a Refresh
by Alex Butz
I’m going to be honest with you. I am not a developer. I am not super technical. I am a sales guy;“Business Development,” if you will.
So, how is it that I am writing a blog about websites?
Well, on the front lines I see a lot of small website mis-steps that can easily be fixed, or more importantly, should have been considered in the initial design.
Someone once said: “People don’t have the time and money to do it right, but they have the time and money to do it again.”
Do you feel sorry for those people? OR maybe, possibly, are YOU one of those people?
Either way, we’re going to help you notice these signs early, so you can get your website kicked off correctly, so you won’t be one of those people.
- Is your website mobile-friendly?
According to official Google statements, more than 50% of search queries globally now come from mobile devices; over 20% are voice search queries. This number sky rockets depending on the industry (i.e. food & beverage, health, sports, news).
So, it makes sense—you want your website to be optimized for these mobile visitors, right?
And if that isn’t motivation enough, Google penalizes you for failing to have a mobile friendly website, which can wreck your SEO.
It would seem obvious, given the stats and information above, but nearly 20% of small businesses still do not have a mobile friendly site.
See if yours is by doing a gut check—see where you stack up.
- What’s your User Experience (UX) grade?
Stop and think to yourself–on a scale of 1-10, how would I rate my User Experience? This means, from the user’s perspective, how easy-to-navigate/ fun/ engaging is your site.
How did you do?
User Experience is crucial. It is literally the experience the user has while visiting your site. This is also the experience each individual has with your business—with you. It will leave an impression on them; maybe bad, hopefully good—but you can control this!
If you do not have the resources in-house, have someone perform a UX audit for you—often there are small changes that can be implemented that will significantly increase the user experience, and ultimately lead to more on-site conversions.
At the very least, you will have knowledge of how you measure up—and once you know this, it will be hard to ignore and not resolve.
Trust me, it will be worth it!
- Do you know your competitive advantage?
In the words of renowned marketing professor, Dr. Phillip Kotler, “competitive advantage is a company’s ability to perform in one or more ways that competitors cannot or will not match.”
How are YOU setting yourself apart?
Is YOUR website contributing to YOUR competitive advantage?
Is YOUR site optimized for conversions?
[create a clear path to purchase]
Are YOU using rich content to enhance the experience a visitor will have on YOUR website?
[blogs; podcasts; video content]
Consider these suggestions when organizing your website:
- The average person stays on any given website for around one minute—just one minute. That is not a lot of time.
- Make sure your content is compelling. Understand the reasons why someone might come to your site and cater to that/ to those reasons. If they cannot find why they want, they will not be back—and they will find what they need somewhere else.
- All-in-all, keep it simple—do not overwhelm your visitors.
- Growing Your Business
First off—STAY CURRENT!
The tech world in every industry is morphing and changing, every single day. If you cannot keep up, you will fall behind.
Consider setting up a way to engage with visitors through content, whether that’s a blog or a resources center – this will help you stay relevant. Keep your software and templates new and updated as well.
It is a huge user red-flag, when they get to your site and see a mess-up in the template. A clean, functional site will help with the first impression you are giving visitors.
Then, as your business grows, your website will need to grow with it. As new technologies emerge, new methods and strategies will come right along side them.
It is important to keep a pulse on what trends are upcoming—and which ones are dying off.
What’s on the line here? New business opportunities.
A current website, utilizing the latest software and tech, will have the best chance of converting visitors at the highest level.
As your site becomes more and more outdated—the less relevant you become in your own industry.
For more insights regarding auditing and setting up your website refresh or build, download our Free Website Refresh Guide Worksheet. We’ll walk you through all the correct beginning steps so you won’t get to the point where your website is overdue.