Your website is up there with one of the most significant aspects of your digital strategy so it is important that your website is stylish, easily navigable and reflects your brand.
Feeling there’s something wrong and you’re not achieving your goals?
Here are 10 signs or reasons why your website needs a fresh look!
#1 - You find it hard to update
Are you frustrated every time you need to make a change because you have no content management system? Perhaps you have a CMS but it just isn’t fit for purpose anymore with the frequency and nature of your updates. Updating the engine is the ideal time refresh the bodywork.
#2 - Conversions are down, or stagnating
When you launched (or re-launched) your website, the response was great. You grew your user base and everything seemed tickety boo! Then the key metrics graph started to flatline, or heaven forbid head down the way. WTF?! You cry. Well, any number of reasons could be the answer, but perhaps underpinning them all is that time has moved on, and your website hasn’t.
#3 - It’s slipping down the search rankings
Similar to #2 and equally alarming. There are lots of things that can be achieved with a steady investment in SEO and marketing, but there comes a point where a more major overhaul is necessary. Just be sure to redesign and rebuild with optimisation at the heart.
#4 - It no longer reflects who you are
As mentioned already, times change. Styles and fashions come and go. You might like to think your brand is timeless, but no website can afford to rest on its laurels. This point is especially pertinent if you have just undergone a rebranding exercise. Your website should be high on the priority list of things to change when you have new things to say.
#5 - It looks awful on mobile
Chances are your users spend just as much (if not more) of their browsing time staring at a phone or tablet device instead of a lovely big desktop monitor. Responsive design is vital if you don’t want to upset your audience and give them a second rate experience.
#6 - Your customers are getting frustrated
Well, it could be the lack of a responsive website as mentioned in #5, or other more subtle user experience issues. Does a review of your website’s analytics reveal users are just giving up? Or perhaps it’s more obvious and negative reviews are making your shortcomings all too public. Time to sort things out.
#7 - Some bits just don’t work, or look broken
By its nature the internet and the way we access and view content on it is dynamic. Just as important as the change in trends, is the change in technologies. Perhaps you had some neat functionality but the script it relied upon no longer works. Maybe you started with a beautiful and simple Wordpress site. Then you couldn’t resist temptation and have bolted on one plugin after another in the quest for cool features. Now it’s starting to creak, worse still it could be vulnerable to attack.
#8 - Your competitors are getting more traction
Business is all about competition, about staying ahead of the game. The chances are if you are not doing enough to stay relevant then somebody else is. Get back on top with a redesign.
#9 - It looks dated
As we hinted at in point #4, trends and tastes in online aesthetics can be as fickle as on the catwalk. Being proactive and keeping your website content fresh and relevant is key, but every now and again it’s time to refresh a tired framework.
#10 - You’ve stopped directing people to your site
Oh dear. The keyword here is pride. Your website should be an exciting thing, a shiny statement of who you are, your pride and joy. If you are trying to hide it rather than brandish it, then something is clearly wrong. Invest in a beautiful redesign and feel the love again.
Are you experiencing these issues? Does your website look dated and you're not gaining the conversions you want? Then, it's time to spice up your web design!
Whether you need your whole website redesigned or a web page or two, Gecko can help.
Get in touch!
- Mark, @wearegecko!
