It goes without saying that if you own or run a business you’ve most likely created a website that is aimed to promote your services to potential customers. Whether your site was created recently or years ago, it’s important to make sure you update your site to keep up with today’s ever-changing online environment. So, how can you tell if your website needs a bit of a rev-up or a complete redesign? Here are a few questions to consider…
Can your website be viewed on mobiles and other devices?
If your answer to this question is no, then you need to look at changing this sooner rather than later. There’s a big push at the moment for websites to provide an optimal viewing experience on all devices, including smartphones, tablets, TVs, gaming and music devices. This is known as responsive web design and by implementing this you’re able to cover all of these bases with minimal maintenance.
Why responsive design?
Your website may look fantastic on a desktop, but if it doesn’t recreate the full experience on a mobile or tablet you’re potentially losing visitors/leads/money and this is exactly what you want to avoid.
It’s also worth noting that Google negatively ranks websites that aren’t optimised for mobiles. By updating your website to be responsive, your business will stay relevant in the constantly changing world of web development. Get in touch with us to learn more about responsive web design and what works for you and your business.
Are you able to easily update your website?
Fact: If you don’t know how to update your website or you can’t easily do it yourself, you need to re-evaluate.
As a business, you should be constantly updating your site with fresh and relevant content, whether that’s through your blog, testimonials or any other section of your choice. If you don’t know how to make updates or you’re relying on an external party to do this, then you’re making life a lot harder than it should be.
Install a Content Management System (CMS)
Give us a call to discuss installing an easy-to-use CMS that’s simple to update. WordPress is a commonly used CMS that’s extremely user-friendly – plus, search engines love it so if you play your cards right, it could potentially improve your rankings.
The bottom line is: it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, if you’re not updating your website content regularly then you are losing out. Creating a new site with a CMS that you have control over may seem like a daunting prospect, but it can potentially do wonders for your business.
Does your website take a long time to load?
Another emerging website trend making the rounds at the moment is super-fast loading times. These days, users are all about looking up information while they’re on the go, which means smartphones, tablets and other portable devices are commonly used.
If your site is sucking up huge amounts of data when loading, then this will put visitors off exploring further. The challenge is to find the perfect balance of making your site download minimal information while still giving visitors a thorough glimpse of your brand and services.
Too long to load = lose customers
The general rule of thumb is if your site is taking a visitor more than five seconds to load from the device they are using, then there’s a high chance they’ll head elsewhere. We can help you look into potential reasons your site is taking so long to load – there may be small tweaks that can be done to improve this.
If the issues are bigger, then consider a redesign that will allow for less loading time for aspects, such as background images, textures and custom fonts.
Is your site slowly losing visitors over time?
Your website could be the best-looking page on the net, but unless it’s being recognised by search engines you’re not getting the traffic you need.
Use Google Analytics to get a detailed look at what your visitors are doing and whether or not they are delving deeper into your page to explore your business. Have a think about what may entice your visitors to stick around:
- Do you need to work on your content and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?
- Would a more eye-catching web design do the trick?
Invest in SEO copywriting
Our copywriters can help you sift through your website copy and determine the areas that can be updated to increase your SEO and content quality. If you don’t already have an active blog you should consider starting one and posting relevant content on a regular basis.
Consider a redesign
A web design revamp could also entice your visitors to stick around a little longer. If your website looks outdated, this will be instantly apparent and will put visitors off. Get in touch with us to discuss potential design tweaks that could work for you.
Remember, you don’t have to spend bucket loads of money to update your site. Orion Creative can work within your budget to get you great results without breaking the bank.
Are there sections that don’t work properly or contains errors?
If your website isn’t fully functional or contains broken links (such as 404 errors, which indicates sections of your website no longer exist or have moved) this is a major red flag and will reflect badly on your business. This is also a sign that your site may be highly disorganised or is not being run properly.
Install a CMS and go through your website with a fine-tooth comb
A CMS will allow you to organise content in a well-structured way so that it’s easy to keep track of links that may stop working.
Not sure where to start? Go through each page of your website and see how many broken links or images you come across and then decide if you need a revamp or a complete overhaul.
Is it clear to your visitors what your business does and what it has to offer?
This one might seem obvious but you’d be surprised at how many businesses just can’t convey their branding effectively on their site.
A website should not only gives a visitor information about what type of services you offer, it should also showcase the look and feel of your brand. This is where content, web development and design all play an important role.
Ask Orion
The Orion team can help you determine how to convey your brand, from content to colour choices and web development styles. The result should be a streamlined website that communicates a clear message and style to your visitors.
Giving your website a facelift may seem like an overwhelming process, but it really doesn’t have to be. Get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to walk you through any questions you have.
