Fact: There is no such thing as a website that never needs to be updated.

Fact: People will leave your website if it is difficult to use.

Fact: Your website is your strongest marketing tool.

With consideration given to these facts and many others regarding your website, it is safe to say that many websites on the web need to be updated. The bigger question is – Is your website one of them?

If you are uncertain whether or not it is time to update your website, then there are a variety of telltale signs that a website redesign needs to be a part of your 2021 plan for your company. Of course, if you suspect it is definitely time to do some revamping to your website, now is the time to do it, so contact our team for a consultation.

Signs Your Website Needs Work

  1. You aren’t ranking on Google search. Is your website technically SEO ready? This means more than just having keywords chosen with search engine optimization in mind. It is also important that your website’s behind the scenes elements- metadata- are also properly done for full SEO potential. Without properly utilized SEO practices search bots won’t crawl your website and you won’t rank in search results. If you are uncertain as to how strong your SEO is, talk to us about doing a technical SEO audit.
  2. Your competition has a better website. Take a minute-if you haven’t already done so- and check out your competition’s website. Is it more modern than yours? Perhaps it has cleaner lines and is easy to navigate. Do you feel a bit of envy when you peruse their website? If you can relate to any of this, then there is a solid chance that you need to give your website an update.
  3. Your website is not responsive. Research by Statista.com revealed that “mobile devices account for approximately 50% of web traffic worldwide.” Think about it, how often do you reach for your phone or tablet when you want to do a quick web search? Chances are, it’s pretty often. So, if your website is not designed to read on a mobile device and have the information people need quickly and easily accessible then you are losing business. If you are uncertain as to whether or not your website is mobile responsive you can test it out with a test such as Google Mobile-Friendly Test or Responsive Web Design Checker. While the former test will confirm or not if your site is mobile-friendly, the latter one will also show you what your site looks like on various devices and screen sizes.
  4. Your website is not HTTPS enabled. This was introduced in 2018 as a way to show that your website is secure. However, there are many website owners who still haven’t taken the steps needed to see that your site meets the criteria and sports the HTTPS or have the small safe logo as a part of their URL. This is an easy update that the Page Progressive team can take care of for you.
  5. Your social media icons are out of date. If you are still listing Google Plus on your website, or you haven’t added a link to your Instagram account (or others) then it’s a good indication that it is time to make some upgrades/updates to your website. Be sure to remove any icons for sites you no longer use and check to see that you have the most modern version for the social media platforms that you do use. Of course, an even bigger signal that you need to update your website is if you either a) don’t use social media at all or b) you do use social platforms but you don’t have them represented on your website. If you are not taking advantage of social media then you are already limiting brand exposure and as many of today’s consumers check out a company’s social media presence before they ever check out their website!
  6. Check the copyright! Most websites have a copyright disclaimer at the bottom of their page(s). If your website is sporting last year’s date (2019) or earlier, you probably need to update your website as it has likely been a while.
  7. Your website loads slowly. If it takes more than a second or two for your website to load then updates are a must. In today’s world, the only reason for a website to load slowly is because your internet connection is slow- it should never be because your picture files are too large, you are still using image galleries, there is too much to load or any other reason. If your website loads slowly, then you can be sure that you are losing business because people are not going to wait for a slow site to load.
  8. Old news. When was the last time you added new content to your website? If you can’t recall then it’s time to bring your website into modern times. A big sign that website is out of date is when your blog pages show dates that several weeks- or worse, months- ago.  While having old news on your site won’t keep potential clients away, it will send the wrong message to search engines. Need help with keeping your blog page up to date? Talk to us. We have a team of writers who will be happy to handle the writing for you.
  9. No CTAs on your homepage. Don’t leave site guests wondering what you want them to do. Have a clear Call to Action above the fold on the homepage. Choose phrases such as “Apply now” or “More Information” or “Contact us” and place them where all your guests know what you want them to do.
  10. Repeat 404 errors. If your site guests are getting frequent 404 errors (page not found) then it is likely they are trying to reach pages that no longer exist. Sure, you may have had them in the past, but at some point, they were deleted. If you don’t know if this applies to you, then take some time to double-check the assorted links to and on your website. Better yet, talk to us about a site audit and doing a site upgrade.

This is just a shortlist of indicators that your site needs to be updated. If you feel that your site is in need of a new look, better load time, improved SEO tactics, or any other feature you think will improve your bottom line, now is the time to get started. With 2020 over, it is the perfect time to bring your website to the next level! Contact our Page Progressive website development team to learn how we can give your website a fresh, modern look.