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Trends come and go, but your website doesn’t.

A website is a representation of your brand, what you offer and what you’re capable of.

When executed properly, a strong website will generate interest, inquiries, leads -- all things a business strives for in the digital world. What happens when your website hasn’t been updated? The benefits of a strong digital presence begin to dwindle. In fact, 77% of digital marketing agencies say that poor user experience (UX) of a website is the most significant weakness for businesses seeking growth. There’s a lot factors that go into whether a website is due for a redesign or not -- paying attention to the details will help with that decision.

Design

Technical Problems

Content Matters

Visitor Behavior

Design

The layout and design of a website play a vital role in user experience. Visitors need to know where to go. If there’s content crammed in every space possible, people will often feel discouraged to engage with the site. The goal of the website needs to be obvious. Are visitors performing actions that your site is geared for? Is your website designed for a specific action? If the answer is no, it’s definitely time to update it!

Images and font styles play an important role. Too many stock photos will send the message that your brand is boring. Large, prominent photos with a purpose are best. If your business doesn’t have much visual content to work with, that’s where innovation comes into play. Be creative when it comes to fonts too -- using default fonts isn’t original. Strong, consistent branding is what makes any website design worthwhile; paired with a great layout and business goals intact, a fresh website is a great way to put your best digital “foot” forward.

Technical Problems

No one likes to wait. Slow loading pages and images will cause a big drop in analytics for a website. It’s reported that 39% of people will stop engaging with a website that takes too long to load. This is a common issue for sites that haven’t been kept up-to-date. Your website may be running slow because of server issues, web hosting, an outdated CMS -- lots of reasons; having a website that is highly functional is a necessity for every business.

With mobile devices accounting for 2 of every 3 minutes spent online, a mobile-friendly website is no longer a choice. In the last few years, smartphone internet usage has grown exponentially. If your site doesn’t operate well on mobile, or at all, it’s time for a redesign. The responsiveness of a website attributes much to its performance. A responsive website functions well on every device, increasing the opportunity for sales (or whatever your goal may be). Once your website looks and functions great, you’ll be further along on your journey to reaping the benefits of it.

Content Matters

Ever heard the term, “TMI”? Well, a website can surely have too much information, or content. Any information it has needs to be current, with prominent contact information. If it’s difficult to change the content on your website -- it’s time for a revamp! Don’t leave content stagnant when you’ve likely outgrown it. Visitors want to see fresh, informative and visually-pleasing content to read.

If your website hosts a blog, it should be easily shareable to social media. With 2.3 billion people on social platforms, it’s more important than ever for websites to include a social media element. Generating content that people want to share is half the battle -- they should be able to share it with as little effort as possible, such as clicking a “share” button. If social media isn’t at the forefront of your business objectives, search engine optimization (SEO) likely is. Search engine algorithms have changed over the years, so updating SEO practices will improve organic search rankings. This is a great method for enhancing a redesigned website. With 93% of online experiences beginning in a search engine (i.e. Google, Bing), you definitely want your website to rank well!

Visitor Behavior

If your website is suffering a high bounce rate (visitors leaving once reaching the homepage), it’s a red flag. Visitor behavior is a great way to understand the efficiency of your website. The analytics of your site can provide helpful insights on adjustments that should be made. If the bounce rate is high, what’s going on with the homepage that makes people want to leave it? Poor user experience will result in a high bouncer rate, reduced website traffic and a lack of conversions. It’s important for a website to be optimized to leverage your specific business goals. Do you want visitors to sign up for an event or make purchases? Is there a specific page you want to lead them to? Tweaking the design and functionality of your site will improve the amount of actions visitors take. With strong content, branding and design, your website can achieve a lot on behalf of your business.