Internet and business trends are constantly changing. Is your website keeping up?
Your website should look modern and fresh, but it should also reflect your brand and business accurately so you can attract the right customers.
And it can’t do that if it’s outdated!
If you haven’t freshened up your website in a long time, take a look at these signs to see if you need to revamp your site.
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1 | Your content is outdated
The most obvious sign you need to revamp your website? Your content is old. And by content, I mean any copy on your page that you haven’t updated in a while.
Your About page, for starters. Does it still accurately reflect who you are? Does it list any recent achievements or major life changes you want to share with your site visitors? If your business’s vision and mission statement have changed, that should be updated, too.
Take a look at your products, services, and free resources as well. Make sure you’re still offering all of the ones listed on your site, and that the details for each are correct.
It’s easy to forget to update time-sensitive freebies like social media tips or SEO guides, too. Check the dates on each freebie, delete outdated stuff, and refresh content where you can.
Related post: Website Checklist: How To Keep Your Website Consistently Up To Date
2 | Your site is slow to load
Does your site take longer than a few seconds to load? If so, you’re losing out on-site traffic and valuable conversions. Slow load times can also negatively impact your search engine rankings.
Tweaking some elements on your page can improve page speed. One way to boost speed is to check for old plugins you no longer use. Too many plugins can bog down your site and slow load speed. Review your plugins to deactivate and delete ones you don’t need.
Other ways you can boost page speed? Optimize your images and minimize CSS to cut down on page load time. You might want to consider different options for website hosting, too.
3 | You have a high bounce rate
What happens when your site takes too long to load? Site visitors bounce and go somewhere else. Check your analytics and see how many users leave your website without interacting with anything. If your bounce rate is high, it may be due to loading speed, or other factors.
Load speed isn’t the only culprit for a high bounce rate. Is your site mobile-friendly? Does it have intuitive navigation? Is it easy to read? Do you make it clear to site visitors what you do or what you offer?
User experience is super important for your site. Look at your website with a critical eye and make sure your user experience is the best it can be. After you improve your user experience, I bet you’ll see your bounce rate decrease.
Related post: 7 Ways To Improve The User Experience On Your Website
4 | Your branding is old
You might be thinking, “Isn’t this the same as the first sign about content??” It’s close, but branding and content are different! Think of your content as every written word you share with your audience. Branding is how you portray your business. It includes content, but it also encompasses brand colors, fonts, images, and all that visual stuff.
When you glance at your site, does it look old? If you’ve tweaked your business offerings or changed your brand personality, your website should reflect it. That’s especially important if you’re targeting a different audience.
Measure your website against your brand guidelines to see what needs updating. Remember that you can’t relate to your target audience if your website isn’t telling your brand’s story correctly.
Related post: 4 Ways To Infuse Your Brand Personality Into Your Website
5 | You can’t remember the last time you revamped your site
Here’s an easy sign that it’s time to check up on your website. If you can’t remember the last time you made any changes to it at all, it’s probably due for a tune-up.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to make major changes every time you check in on your website! In fact, regular check-ins with small tweaks are much easier to handle than big design overhauls. Schedule a task or reminder for yourself every few months so you get into the habit.
During each check-in, go through every page on your site. Read all your content to ensure it’s up to date. Make sure your site is still easy to navigate and find and fix any broken links. Check all your forms and contact page to make sure they work. Now’s a good time to back up your files, too.
Related post: How to Update Your Website for the New Year
Final Thoughts
The bottom line? You should check in with your website frequently to see that it’s performing and looking its best. Make it a regular habit, and you won’t have to deal with a stressful, huge site redesign down the road.
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