A well-maintained, up-to-date website can be a valuable tool for many years to come. But every website will eventually reach a point when it needs to be rethought, redesigned, and rebuilt. Here are five indicators that it may be time for an overhaul.
Your Branding Has Changed
Have you gone through a rebrand or made any fundamental changes to your business? If so, it may be time for a new website. First, look at your current site, audit your overall branding, product, and service offerings, and see how these have evolved. Next, look at your social channels and digital marketing and determine shifts there. Are there any disconnects? If so, your website may not accurately represent who you are and what you do – time for a website refresh.
Your Website’s User Experience Is Lacking
User experience is always of primary importance. If a website is challenging to use, it’s less likely that visitors will engage with your content and become customers. Do a quick audit of your site to gauge whether it’s easy to use from your perspective – and then think about it from the your ideal customer’s perspective. Are your website’s features and content as engaging as your competitors’ sites? Is your website optimized for all screen sizes, devices, and platforms? Is your navigation clear and simple to use? If you cannot answer yes to all of these questions, your website needs some work.
Your Technology Needs An Upgrade
The technologies and software that make up your website are constantly being updated, on both the front and back ends. From your server’s scripting language and database management system, to your website’s core, theme, and plugins, to the different platforms, devices, and browsers that your visitors are using – there are many components that can become outdated. For optimal functionality, performance, and security, your website needs to be compatible with the latest and greatest of all these technologies. If it’s not, it’s time for an upgrade.
Your Website Is Sluggish
If a website does not load or respond to user interactions quickly, your visitors will bounce without engaging with your content. Remember the number 2.5 seconds! Google’s core web vital metrics say a ‘good’ load time is less than 2.5 seconds. 53% of users abandon a mobile site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Not only is speed important for users, but it is essential for how Google crawls and ranks your site in search results. If, despite your best optimization efforts, your website is still too slow, it may be time for a rebuild.
Content Changes Are Difficult
If you cannot easily add, update, and optimize the content on your site, you’re definitely ready for an update! If it’s difficult to manage your website’s content, or you worry that changes may “break” your page display, it’s time to change things up. Maybe your website has been patched together by multiple developers over the years, and some content management features don’t work as well as they should. Or maybe your site uses a visual builder that’s complicated to use and slow to load. If anything is preventing you from keeping your website content fresh, your visitors will notice – and it’s time to build something better.
The idea of redesigning and rebuilding your website can be daunting – but it doesn’t need to be. At PixelPeople, we can help reinvent your online presence with a new site that addresses all the above concerns. Our custom website solutions are built around your brand, easy to manage, and fast to load.
If you’re considering a website rebuild, reach out to us today – we would be happy to discuss the benefits of custom development and its possibilities for your business.