All progressive businesses look to keep up with today’s rapidly changing technology to avoid becoming outdated and falling behind the competition. Like a computer, a website has a shelf life and should be either redeveloped or rebuilt to ensure it performs at the optimal level while reflecting your modern business.
Websites can age quickly depending on how they were originally developed and the general rule of thumb for a revamp is every 3 – 5 years. If you have taken a look at your Google Analytics recently and noticed that your traffic is slowing or your bounce rate has increased, it may be time to give your website some attention.
Not sure if your website needs a refresh? Below are 5 things to consider.
1. How does your website look? Don’t answer this question yourself ask someone who is impartial and will give you some honest feedback. Remember, visitors to your site are unlikely to tell you how bad your site looks they simply never return so ask a range of people including those who fit your target audience.
Comparing your site to your competitors can provide some good insights but don’t look to the poorest quality sites with a ‘it’s good enough’ attitude. Make sure you match yourself up against leaders in your market and aspire to be better.
2. Does your site represent your brand? A website is the face and voice of your business and is the platform where most people will make contact with you for the first time so it should accurately portray your brand and clearly translate your message. Think ‘Who we are’, What we do’ and ‘Why should we contact you?’. If this information is not easily understood, you are likely to be missing the mark.
3. Is your site easy to navigate? There’s nothing worse than landing on a site and getting stuck in a labyrinth where the sitemap is a riddle. A well designed site will provide a simple flow across the entire platform and avoid any delays in accessing the information your visitors expect to find. Providing a quality user experience reflects well on your business and visitors are likely to spread the word.
4. Is your website mobile responsive? We’ve all heard this before and it can sound like a broken record but the importance of this has not diminished. In fact, it’s likely to get much worse for those with sites that are not mobile-friendly and if your site is stuck in the dark ages you can expect your rankings to be heavily penalised by Google. Aside from having your visibility affected, think of the lost opportunities as visitors leave your site out of frustration.
5. Are you socially connected? If you haven’t noticed the growing power of social marketing, you must have been in hibernation for some time. Social channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer a unique opportunity which very few businesses are taking advantage of. Adding social links to your site provides easy access to an extension of your business which helps to promote engagement and gives you more market reach.
A well-designed website is crisp and clean with simple navigation. The aesthetics should be visually engaging and provide a memorable experience. Your content should be rich, interesting and easily digested.
Talk to the team at Sprocket about our free website consultation service!
With well over one hundred 5-star Google reviews, its safe to say we are the real deal. Client relationships and demonstratable results are our priority. If you'd like to know more, we'll even let you talk to some real clients.
