[Updated for 2022]
In most cases, your business website is the first point of contact between you and your existing, as well as prospective, clients. Sites that allow easy navigation and contain useful information increase user engagement, which is a necessity if you want your business to grow. One way to ensure that your site maintains its relevance is by updating the information it contains from time to time.
Unfortunately, there are times when your website does not yield desirable results, even after refreshing the content therein. In such situations, a complete overhaul will be necessary. Here are some of the telltale signs that your site is ripe for a redesign.
1. The Presence of Dead Links
User experience is one of the most important things to address when building or redesigning a website. If it is not seamless, the audience you are targeting will shift their attention elsewhere. Dead or broken links bear a negative impact on user experience because they send users to a 404 error page when they click on them.
The general reaction when a specific link does not redirect your audience to the right page is opting out immediately, and that can result in the loss of business.
You can check your website to identify the presence of any dead links by visiting brokenlinkcheck.com. Once you trace them, remove or modify them appropriately to avoid losing business.
2. Increased Technical Troubleshooting
If you are always solving a problem on your website instead of investing more time toward optimizing it, a redesign will be necessary. Your site may have multiple technical troubleshooting issues if it has no provision for scalability, which means that it cannot grow with the content and pages.
There is not much you can achieve or accomplish through a business website that requires frequent troubleshooting of technical problems. Opting for new content management systems, shopping cart programs, hosting options, or restructuring the entire framework and navigation of your site are some of the approaches that can help you surmount the challenges of constant technical troubleshooting.
3. Incompatibility with Mobile Devices
Today, shoppers of different ages use their mobile devices to make purchases, which means that if your website is not compatible with smartphones, iPads, and laptops, you are doing your enterprise a disservice.
There is currently an emphasis on the need for sites to be accessible on mobile devices. For that reason, redesigning yours by adopting a responsive design will be a great idea.
Related: Making Your Website Mobile-Friendly
4. Lack of An SSL Certificate
The increase in the number of individuals spending time online, and the prevalence of hackers, is heightening concerns over privacy and security. Search engines are aware of this fact. Browsers such as Firefox and Chrome are discouraging access to websites that are not secure, and if your company site does not have an HTTPS secure padlock icon, it means that it is not safe. For that reason, its visibility on search engines may be wanting.
Assuring customers of their security whenever they visit your site and provide their details is critical, and you can do so by redesigning it to include an SSL certificate. Securing your website means that unauthorized individuals will not have access to data coming into or from your website, and an expert can help you to implement this.
5. Your Website Doesn’t Match Your Brand
If your business or organization has rebranded, congratulations – but you may confuse your customers with a website that doesn’t look the same. Your brand should have a one consistent look to stand out and be recognizable in the marketplace.
Your website is in need of update or a redesign if your brand already has. Your website should match the rest of your updated branding elements, including logos, color palettes, typography, and overall style.
6. Using an Outdated Design
Did you know that 94% of users’ first impressions are design-related? If your website has an outdated, inefficient design, users are likely to leave right away. A study conducted by Behavior and Information Technology found that it takes only 50 milliseconds for users to form an opinion about your website and your business. Unfortunately, if this is a negative opinion, you are unlikely to see them visit your website again or convert to a customer.
Typically websites need to be updated every three to four years for design-related changes. As time moves forward and trends change, so do the ways users receive your website when they visit. Website designs should incorporate timeless elements, but be updated often for current design best practices.
Related: Website Navigation Best Practices in 2022
A lot goes into redesigning a website for it to meet the expectations of users and generate conversions, but the starting point should be identifying what your site is missing so you can restructure it accordingly. If you believe it is time to redesign your website, reach out to Ironmark’s experts. We’re happy to help.
