A website needs to be effective from the very beginning. It needs to provide your prospects and customers with the information they seek in a way which is easy to explore and interact with. It should possess a well thought-out information architecture and user interface, both of which lay the groundwork for great design, usability and interaction. Successful websites are built and improved over time. Analytics and user comments or testing reveal valuable insights about the health and wellness of your website and the data that is gleaned can define key areas for improvement. If the improvements aren’t made, you’re likely going to fall into some of the categories below and the time will soon come to redesign your website.
If you question the value of your business’ website, and we’re assuming you are since you’re reading this, take a look below for some telltale signs that a website redesign is due.
Your Website Doesn’t Help You Meet Your Business Objectives
Knowing how your website is performing can prove beneficial in achieving business goals. Analytics can be the best barometer for positioning your website as a profitable asset to your business. The language and imagery used on your website and how they are perceived by your users can play a critical role in helping you meet your business objectives. For example, improving the personality of the text and imagery can be enough to get things in a better place. However, if the website does not reflect who you are and what you do it may be time for a more comprehensive redesign. Connect with us if you are unsure about yours.
Your Website is Hard to Manage
Today’s content management systems (CMS) are easier to use than old systems or home-brewed html websites. If a website is built correctly, it should be very easy to administer and update its content. A website that’s hard or impossible to manage is a very common issue our prospects experience. We frequently receive calls from new business prospects complaining that their web designer has made it impossible for them to update their websites on their own (Read: How to avoid the “missing” web designer). If you had your old web designer or programmer making edits and they’ve suddenly closed shop and gone missing, it could be nearly impossible to complete edits, especially if they did not share account login credentials. Utilizing a content management system such as WordPress as a foundation of a website design can satisfy the needs of many businesses. WordPress is one of the easiest systems to learn and can be administered by any computer literate employee.
Your Website Looks Dated
Websites have a shelf life. Much like fashion and automobiles, after a few years websites start to show their age. Trends are always present in website design and the expected lifespan of a website can be as little as a year, but many businesses can go three or more years before their site begins to show its age. Remember that the website is probably your most important marketing asset. You wouldn’t go into a business meeting wearing frumpy out-of-style fashions would you? Then make sure your website gets redesigned if it is looking dated. Sometimes simple adjustments can go a long way. Updating colors, fonts and images are easy ways of doing so without a complete rebuild. Send us a link to yours if you are considering a website redesign and we will tell you if it makes sense to update what you have or rebuild.
Your Competitors’ Websites are Better Than Yours
Aren’t you envious when you look at your chief competitor’s website design and are forced to agree that it is great? This is a big problem for some businesses. Prospects are searching several businesses at a time when seeking your product or service. It is critical that your website design looks and performs better than all of theirs. Take a look at their website design and share what you like or dislike about them with your website designer. This conversation will help your designer understand some of your critical concerns which can help yield a superior website.
Your Website is Not Generating Enough Leads or Sales
Marketing automation and persuasive copywriting can help turn your website into a lead generating machine. If your website is not generating inquiries, you need to redesign it. The use of forms and strategically placed calls to action (CTA) can help get your phones and inbox bells ringing. If your website is an e-commerce store, your purchase and checkout process and screens should be easy and intuitive to understand; require too many clicks and the opportunities will pass you by. Websites can be the most expensive marketing budget line item so make sure it’s working hard to bring in new opportunities.
What’s Next?
If you have come to the conclusion that some changes need to happen with your current website, give us a call at 908.219.4703 or complete our form to let us know about your concerns. We offer a free 30-minute phone consultation where you can share a broad sense of your website challenges and we can share how we would approach solving them for you. The team at Trillion cares about the success of our clients. We’re confident we can help you, too.
