Having a modern and up-to-date website is extremely important for any business. As an owner, it can be tempting to settle for any functioning website just to get it done. Unfortunately, without putting any real strategy behind it, or worse, by believing that once it’s built it’s good until retirement, things can go horribly wrong. Websites need regular maintenance, updates, and new strategic plans as search engine algorithms are tweaked, website visitor tastes change, and attention spans shorten.

If it’s been a while since your website has gotten a new look or had its content (text and pictures) updated then this article is for you!

Reasons to Change your Website

1. It Isn’t Mobile Friendly

Mobile phone internet browsing has grown significantly in the past several years. Statistics show that desktop users were surpassed by mobile users in 2016 due to the increase in mobile search. This means that you need to have a website that works for both mobile phone and computer desktop users. With the help of responsive web design, you can have a website created that will readjust the display and content according to the size of the user’s screen.

2. Photos and Links are Broken

There’s no doubt that broken photos and links on your website will give you a bad reputation with your visitors. They will even cause some to leave the site as they will become frustrated with non-working links and even become concerned about the security of the site. Don’t lose prospects because of a lack of website maintenance!

3. It isn’t HTTPS

People that visit your website need to be sure that it’s safe. By now, you need to know that an HTTPS-enabled website is standard practice and will help to keep users free from potential hackers and those looking to steal personal information such as credit card details. If your site starts with HTTP and not HTTPS, users will get a warning from their browser alerting them that the site isn’t secure. It’s time to update!

4. It Simply Doesn’t Look Nice

There’s no doubt that a visually appealing website helps to retain visitors. A website that looks old, has antiquated text, or displays photos clearly from the early 2000s will make potential customers wonder if it’s also a representation of your products and services.

5. Content is Old

You may own a business website and be very proud of the work and effort that you put into it. Nevertheless, you need to ask yourself, has the content sat too long without an update? If it’s been a year or two then yes, it’s time to rethink your content strategy and employ the use of current search engine optimization (SEO).

6. Slow Site Speed

With today’s short attention spans, even a one-second delay is enough to cause you to miss out on customers. The faster your site’s speed the more likely visitors are to stick around. Additionally, search engines take into account your site’s speed for search engine ranking which makes addressing speed issues a no brainer.

7. Too Difficult to Update Content

If your website was created in a way that makes it difficult to update content, you might need to consider a new one. Some web developers try to get fancy by custom coding websites or coming up with their own platforms which can make it very difficult for your internal staff to create any new posts or perform updates on their own. By building a new website with an industry standard content management system like WordPress, tasks are a lot easier to complete and you aren’t beholden to the developer for updates.

8. Lack of Consistency

You’ve probably heard the saying, “too many cooks spoil the broth”. If you’ve had several developers tamper with your website over time, without a complete strategic overhaul, your site may lack consistency. It is important to plan out the entire site so that each component has a purpose and heads toward the same goal.

9. An Evolved Industry

Every industry undergoes periodic changes and the same goes for websites. You may be in a situation where your website is too old to adhere to the current security standards or uses software that is no longer supported. In either case, you may require a new site just to keep it functional.

10. Your Old Site Doesn’t Interest You Anymore

As funny as this may sound, your website can start to feel old or boring to a point where even you are just done with it. You might need a new one just for a fresh start.

If you’re still wondering whether or not you need a new website, or you know you do, reach out to us at Pixel Power!