Ever wondered if it is time to update your website but haven’t seen a good enough reason to do it? Do you think it’s not worth your time or money? Well, let me tell you when it’s a good idea to update your website.
Reason #1—Your Site Doesn’t Work on Mobile
First off, if your site doesn’t work on mobile, you are definitely in need of a new website. If people have to pinch-zoom in and out on their mobile screen to read the text or push on buttons and links, you need a new website. If your site cannot adapt to all the different screen sizes out there—from large desktops to small mobile phones—you need a new website.
You might be able to make do with a non-responsive website but it can prevent customer conversions and negatively impact your website traffic and engagement. Plus, Google pushes websites that are not mobile responsive down further in the search rankings after implementing the Mobile First Index.
Let’s go into a few stats:
- According to Statista, the percentage of website traffic from a mobile device in 2015 was 31.16% but in 2019 that percentage increased to 52.6%. Over half of website traffic is done using a mobile device and it’s only going to keep increasing.
- In another study comparing two similar websites, one with a responsive home page and one without, the non-responsive site’s number of sessions decreased by 33%. The study also found the non-mobile pages fell 27 slots in Google search results pertaining to the company. The bounce rate for the non-responsive site increased by 37% compared to the responsive site.
- 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout are unattractive. (A non-responsive site is definitely categorized into that unsightly group.)
- According to iAcquire, if your website appears in a search engine query, and it isn’t mobile friendly, 40% of online users will go back and choose a different result.
- Nearly 8 in 10 customers stop engaging with content that doesn’t display well on their device.
Because more and more people are using mobile phones to browse the internet, it’s become exceptionally important to provide a smooth user experience with a responsive website design. A properly executed responsive website will improve your conversion rates by preventing users from abandoning your site at first glance. This responsive functionality will also keep your company from being penalized by search engines, making it more likely for your web pages to appear higher up in search results.
The most common reason small business owners update their website is to have a responsive site. Join the movement and reap the benefits of a responsive website.
Reason #2—Your Site is from the 2010s or Older
You might be wondering, “Why would I update my website when it gets the job done?” Well, let me tell you.
First off, your older website might send the wrong message. Having an old website design can make your company look outdated. Your users might see your site and think, consciously or unconsciously, that your site and therefore your company is obsolete, passe, and old-fashioned. It might also lead them to mistrust the information provided on the site because it looks forgotten or abandoned. Your potential customers might see your site as they would an old abandoned building that needs to be demolished and replaced with something new and structurally sound.
People nowadays are used to seeing more modern websites. They aren’t surprised when a site is full-width, has larger text, and is more simplified and clean. What does jar them is an unresponsive, contained, and disorganized mess of a website.
The Bar Professor Bar Exam Review website from 2011, and Boostability’s redesigned website from 2019.
Your website should be viewed as your storefront or lobby. This is the first thing your customers see when they visit your location, and this is where you make your first impression. In these times, your website serves as your storefront and it is most likely the first thing your potential customers will experience about your business. Make a great first impression by showing your users that your business is current, trustworthy, modern, and up-to-date.
Reason 3—Your Website Doesn’t Function Well
Another reason you would want to update your website is because it does not function well. This is of course an obvious reason, but we see many customers at Boostability getting a new site because their old one had issues they could not fix. These issues can come because of some faulty HTML or CSS on your site, a poorly developed website, or your website is so outdated it uses Adobe Flash which is being deprecated very soon.
If your site operates like an old junker car and is just not worth fixing, perhaps it’s time to take it to the dump and get a new one. Throw out the old, broken code and get an upgrade.
Reason 4—Your Website Needs to Be Marie Kondo-ed
Does your site resemble the house of a hoarder with disorganized stacks of internal and external links, closets of hidden pages that can only be accessed by digging deep into the site? Is your site just a disorganized mess of jumbled information?
If so, it’s time to “Kondo” your website. Go through all your pages, content, and links. Throw away what is unnecessary or broken. Keep those that give you (and more importantly your customers) a spark of joy and interest. There is no need to hang on to rarely viewed pages, superfluous content, and useless links. If your content doesn’t have a positive impact on your user and is just taking up space, remove it. Throw it out. Let go of any unnecessary attachment to pages, content, or information you think your visitors need and keep what they truly need. Free yourself and your users from this jumbled mess.
After you’ve determined what is unnecessary and have let go of what is not, organize the rest into a new, clean, modern site. It’ll take some work, but it will be worth the effort.
Reason 5—Your Website Just Needs a Makeover
If you have noticed the number of visitors from your site stagnate or decline, perhaps it is time to give your website a makeover. Get a new design and layout. Freshen up your copy. Get a new site with some new images, graphics, and style.
Maybe your site isn’t old and still has a modern look, but you want something new to keep up with the ever changing design trends. Or perhaps you want to take advantage of the new user experience strategies that can make your site more efficient in producing leads and customer conversions. Perhaps you want the capability of integrating other applications or functions into your site with the latest plugins and apps, but your current CMS or builder platform doesn’t support it.
Whatever the reason, give your website the attention it needs to perform at its best.
Get a Brand New Website Today
All five of these reasons are perfectly valid motivations to get a new site designed. If you are in need of a modern, responsive, functional, organized, and customer-converting website, look no farther than Boostability’s BoostSite website services. We build beautifully designed websites that fulfill these requirements at a fair price. Contact one of our sales reps to get started!
