A website is similar to another purchase we’re familiar with, an automobile, in that it requires upkeep and maintenance in order to look good and function properly. Many businesses just want to launch their site, be done with it, and never worry about it ever again. They might be too busy, or are simply intimidated by the learning curve in making updates (which can be averted by using a content management system, more on that later).
Whenever you completely redesign your website, the previous investment that you put into it is lost. There may be times when a complete overhaul is necessary, but by investing time and resources into your site, it will continue to evolve and stay fresh. You’ll also avoid having a new expenditure every few years to get a new website.
Here are a few signs that your site may be due for an upgrade or complete makeover.
Your site looks old and is cumbersome to use
As web technology continues to evolve, design trends change as well and we must change with them. A site that looked great in 2001 probably doesn’t look very good anymore by today’s standards. If your website is my first method of learning more about your business, then that first impression may make a difference as to whether I’m going to take the next step or not. If your site looks like its 5 or 10 years old, then I may lose a bit of buyer confidence.
When a site looks old, the chances are that the technology powering it is dated, too. Some examples are slow-loading images, text as images, frames, tables, animated gifs, etc. There is a right and wrong way to build a website, called “web standards”, and if your site is using any of these old technologies, it could be harmful to your web presence and be the root cause of other problems.
TIP: You can view the source code of your website to see if your website is using outdated code such as tables or frames by opening your website in your browser and going to View -> Source (or Source Code).
Navigation isn’t very user-friendly and content is outdated or poorly written
If your website is not generating many inquiries or much business, users may be finding it difficult to navigate. If customers are contacting you with questions on where to find information, then you are not adequately providing them with the content that they’re looking for. It’s understandable that you may want to provide potential customers with just enough information that they pick up the phone and call you, however, you are risking the chance that the customer leaves your site and goes to a competitor.
Take into consideration the quality of your content, too. Well written content engages the reader, increases search engine ranking and traffic, and increases the likelihood that your content will be linked to from other sites.
TIP: Click through your own site as if you are the end-user. Can you find everything easily? Is it easy to find an address and phone number? Is your content written clearly? Are your most recent news items two years old?
Your business has changed
If your company no longer offers certain products or services, remove them from the website. It can be rather frustrating to spend time researching a service or product, then contact you and find out that you no longer offer it. Likewise, if you add more services or products, be sure to get them up on the website so that people know about them.
For sites that list staff on their site, this page is often overlooked when staff changes, so be sure to update these pages as well and add/remove bios as necessary.
TIP: As your business changes, whether you’ve added a new product or service, or hired a new employee, add a news statement or press release to your homepage so that customers are aware of the latest changes.
Your site costs too much to update
Not too long ago, if you wanted to make changes to your website you either had to know enough HTML to not break your site, or you had to contact your “webmaster” with your changes. With the availability of content management systems, you no longer need to know any programming to update your website. The upfront cost might be a little more, but it pays off quickly and it gives you the freedom to update your website whenever you want. You no longer need to put a call in, wait for the work to be done, and then get billed for it. The value of the CMS offers ease-of-use, no waiting period and cost-savings. Businesses love them because it puts them back in control and not at the mercy of us, the mysterious web people, doing whatever it is we do behind closed doors!
TIP: If your website is really outdated, it may not be cost-effective to integrate a content management system into the existing site. You’d be better off starting over with a clean slate and doing it right from the start.
Your website is the most important marketing piece that you have. It is accessible anywhere, anytime, to anyone. It can display more content than print, and you can easily keep it updated. If you only ever do one thing to your website after you launch it, keep your content updated; potential customers will be more inclined to inquire about your services and you will look more relevant in the industry that you’re in.
