There are more than 4 billion internet users in the world, and almost 1.9 billion websites currently in existence. Tomorrow, there will be even more.

Your web presence is your showroom. It’s where your customers come to get an impression of who you are and what you do, and we all know that first impressions really do count. With technology constantly evolving, and websites not going out of fashion anytime soon, you need to make sure yours is the best it can be to ensure your business stands out from the crowd.

Like everything, best practice will change, and there will come a point that you’ll need to consider a revamp – but how do you know when that point is?

Here are our top 10 signs that your online presence needs an upgrade, pronto.

1. Slooooooow page speed

Page speed is the time it takes for pages to load on your website. If your website is too slow, it’s going to be a frustrating user experience and could lose you potential leads.

Preferably, you want your website to load well within 3 seconds – because 40% of consumers won’t wait longer than 3 seconds before abandoning a site. We’re an impatient bunch it seems.

As of last year, Google started judging websites based on page experience, including page speed. Page speed can have a direct impact on your SEO and conversion rates, so it’s vital that your pages are loading nice and quickly for both your user and your overall rankings. Don’t forget, the longer the load time, the higher the bounce rate too.

You can test your site speed for free using Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Just pop your page URL in the box, hit Analyse and Google will provide you with either a red, amber, or green rating.

2. Your website isn’t Mobile-Friendly

As shocking as it might seem, some businesses do indeed have a non-responsive website in 2021! Despite mobile devices accounting for over half of web pageviews worldwide, some websites still aren’t optimised for mobile, making it hard for users to navigate. Some pages might not even be visible at all.

Mobile-friendly websites can improve your search rankings – Google’s algorithm takes into account whether your site is responsive, and, if not, will score you as a poor content provider, dropping your search authority.

If you’re unsure whether your website is mobile-friendly or not, check using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test here.

3. You’re not communicating the right message anymore

Content is King and all that. But too often it is seen as the last piece in the puzzle when it comes to a web build.

We cannot stress enough how important words are when it comes to converting visitors into paying customers. It is critical that the messaging conveyed on your website is up-to-date and relevant. If you haven’t updated your content since you first launched 5+ years ago, it’s going to be looking tired at best, and utterly irrelevant at worst.

Re-evaluate your content to ensure it still resonates with your audience, aligns with your business goals, and offers real, tangible value to your customers.
 

4. The design is outdated and no longer ‘pretty’

One of the biggest tell-tale signs you need a website revamp is that your design looks outdated and is no longer helping your users successfully navigate your site.

If your site looks like it was built when computers looked like this… then it’s time for a refresh.

5. Your visitors can’t find what they are looking for

Have you ever visited a website looking for something specific, only to find yourself on a page like this, staring at a pug for 10 minutes and questioning your life choices?

You don’t want your visitors to get lost on your website, so having a clearly defined user journey and precise navigation is key, or they’re going to look elsewhere.

Often, our clients come to us looking for a website refresh because their existing site has such a poor user experience (UX). UX should be one of the top priorities of your website, but it’s often an afterthought.

Ensure every page has a purpose, a clear call-to-action (CTA), and contact details are easy to find wherever you are. You want to guide your user, nurturing them with valuable, compelling content and key information along the way.
 

6. It no longer reflects your brand, or you’ve recently rebranded

Your website and brand must align. Stick to your brand guidelines to ensure consistent use of colour palette, fonts, tone of voice, and imagery.

If your organisation has recently undergone a rebrand, you need to ensure these changes are reflected on your website. This will help to establish a connection between your users and your brand and keep the overall experience coherent.

You can read more about Cantarus’ rebranding projects in our case studies, such as our client, the Association of Anaesthetists, who approached us to rebrand their website as their business evolved.

7. Low/No Conversion Rate

Have you noticed a decline in phone calls, enquiry emails, and lead gen form submissions? Are you getting less traffic than you used to?

A pretty website looks great, but if it isn’t paying the bills then it’s a bit of a waste of time.

A poor conversion rate is likely to be an issue with your website not performing to its highest standard. If your website isn’t converting as many visitors as you’d hope, a redesign could be the right choice.

8. Your website isn’t Accessible

Website accessibility in the past has unfortunately often been overlooked, but more and more people are recognising its essentiality.

If your website isn’t accessible, it can be catastrophic – take National Rail, who changed their signature blue and yellow colour scheme to greyscale out of respect for the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The change caused chaos for customers, especially those with needs like vision impairment and colour blindness, who found the altered site difficult to use. The event has since prompted conversations about the importance of web accessibility.

At Cantarus, we have designers and developers trained and certified in Web Accessibility, and always aim to design and build solutions suitable for all. A clearer visual interface with more obvious content benefits everyone.

9. It’s difficult to manage content yourself

Most websites are built on content management systems (CMS) that allow the non-technical folk among us to easily manage simple things like content changes or page updates. No two CMS’ are the same, and some can be a pain to work with. We choose Umbraco and DNN as our CMS’ of choice because they’re both so flexible and easy to use!

But if you’re struggling to make even minor changes to your site, and it is getting too difficult to maintain, then it’s probably time to part ways. 

10. You’re embarrassed to promote your website

You need to feel proud of your website! You want people to feel inspired by it, and for it to portray your business in its best light. If you find you are shying away from handing out your URL, then it might be time for a rethink.

On a totally unrelated note to all the above, Cantarus is a full-service digital agency with specialism in UX, UI, and accessible web design, development, hosting, and optimisation. Oh, and we also have a ‘beyond world-class’ Net Promoter Score of +83. 

If you would like more information on Cantarus’ digital offering, please get in touch at enquiries@cantarus.com 

Follow us on Twitter: @cantarus
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cantarus/ 

The original article can be found here: https://www.cantarus.com/news/blogs/details/10-Signs-You-Need-a-Website-Refresh?utm_medium=partner&utm_source=drum_recommends&utm_campaign=cantarus-website&utm_content=blog-webrefresh