6 Signs You Need a New Website

First impressions matter. In business, the first impression may be the only chance you have to get a potential customer to choose you over your competitors. As such, having a website that really works for you is essential but it’s very easy to neglect this vital part of your business. Technology dates so quickly, as we all know, and websites can stop giving customers the right impression horribly quickly nowadays so it’s difficult to know when the best time is to update it.

Here are the six signs that should tell every business owner that the time is now:

1. Not Mobile/Tablet Friendly

Last year over 50% of all websites worldwide were viewed on mobile phones. Between November and January last year, 51% of all online purchases in the UK were made on mobile phones or tablets. If your website is not optimised for mobile phones and tablets, i.e. the writing looks really small so you have to zoom in to read it properly, you could be missing out on all that internet traffic because, not only does it not look great when your website isn’t mobile friendly, it also gets penalised in its ranking on Google.

2. Looks Dated and/or Not on Brand

Dated websites look dated. It sounds obvious, but the look and feel of a website is something that can look outdated very quickly and, because consistency is so important in branding, if your brand image has moved on and left your website behind, it can damage your brand reputation.

3. Lack of Enquiries

Is your website just there? Are people only using your website to get your phone number or check your opening times? If no one has made an enquiry through your website or mentioned that they found you through your website, it’s probably not doing its job. Definitely time for an update.

4. High Bounce Rate

Is Google Analytics, or any other website monitoring software, telling you that people are clicking onto your website and clicking straight off it again? That means your website is either unappealing, confusing or both. If people can’t immediately see that your company will solve their problem or provide them with what they want within a few seconds of looking at the website, they will click off it and try another one. Similarly, if it creates a negative impression at first glance, people will quickly click away.

5. Hard to Update

Having someone else manage your website without you having full access to edit it and add things to it is not an ideal situation. Not only does it mean it’s difficult for you to keep adding fresh information to it, which Google likes, it means you are probably putting off making tweaks and adjustments to keep it inline with your brand because you’re worried about incurring a fee. Get a website you can easily make changes to and update yourself for a flexible and cost effective way to keep your website Google friendly and on brand.

6. Poor User Experience

Can someone with no previous knowledge of your business easily navigate your website? Is it immediately obvious what the purpose of you company is? How easy is it for a potential customer to make a purchase or enquiry? People are very impatient and easily frustrated online so it’s vital your website offers them what they are looking for in the clearest, quickest and easiest way possible.

Have a think about your website and if you spot any of the signs above, contact us as we can create a beautiful, modern, mobile friendly and functional website that perfectly suits your brand and your business purpose. Our websites grab visitors’ attention and give that all-important great first impression of your business.