10 Ways to Know You Need a New Website

It is becoming more important for businesses to not only have a website, but to have one that works as a marketing tool. In most cases, your website will be a potential customer’s first interaction with you. Your web presence has to be one that reflects accurately who you are, how you can solve their problems and provides the information they need to take the next step in their buyer’s journey. This is why you need to ensure that your website is up to par in terms of technology, usability and your competition. Does your current website meet all of these requirements? If not, it may be time for an upgrade.

Below I will address some ways to know you need a new website. Do any of these apply to you?

1) Your current site is outdated and takes users back to the 1990s.

If you can’t remember the last time you updated your site (or if you don’t have a Content Management System), it is likely that the information found on your website is outdated and not representative of your business. If you are not driving people to your site for any reason, it is time to think about a new site. 

2) You envy the sites of your competition.

You should not feel that your competitors’ websites are more professional than your own. If you are behind the curve in terms of professionalism, content, usability, etc., it is time to consider a website redesign. 

3) Your site is non-responsive.

Enough said. Your website should be responsive and render properly on all mobile devices and tablets. Period.

4) Your website is built using outdated technology.

Flash animation (link to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_animation). Music during loading. Takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Built before the existence of mobile and tablets. You can’t remember who built the site. These are all red flags that your site needs some technology TLC.

Check out some of the best tech websites here. 

5) There was no strategy during development.

It is important that there is a distinct strategy around your website design and development. This includes wire framing, user interface design, calls-to-action, content plans, etc. If these items were not taken into consideration when building your current site, it is time to rethink your strategy.

6) No presence on Google.

I am not talking about not appearing on the first three pages of Google. If your site is nowhere to be found, chances are that search engine spiders cannot crawl your site. This is a major hint that your site needs to be redesigned.

7) Missing social media links.

A business’ social media presence is an important piece of its success. Your website should push your visitors to these networks to connect with you. Consider a redesign that puts your social links in a visible location that will encourage visitors to click through.

8) You have no visibility to your site’s performance.

An important part of a website’s success is being able to measure and track how the site is being used and who is using it. Analytics must be placed on your website in order to be able to make improvements and test various changes.

9) Get over yourself already!

A website should not focus solely on your business and its products/services. Show your visitors (and potential customers) how you can help THEM and solve THEIR problems.

10) Your site is not a sales and marketing tool.

Your site should be a lead generating machine with inquiries coming through regularly. These leads should also be integrated with the other systems around your organization, such as marketing automation and Customer Relationship Management systems. If you are not generating any business from the web, this is a major concern. 

It is extremely important to have a website that drives business and generates revenue. This includes being up to date, responsive, and driven by a cohesive lead generation and nurturing strategy. If any of these issues above explain your current situation, it may be time to consider a change.

Do you have anything to add to this list? What are your tell tale signs that a website needs a redesign? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Image courtesy of phanlop88 via FreeDigitalPhotos.net