Your website should be your hardest-working sales team member. It represents your business 24/7 and should continuously funnel leads into the sales stream. By answering these simple questions below, you can easily determine if you’re due for an upgrade.
1. Are you hesitant to share your website?
Maybe it has not been maintained regularly or doesn’t represent the current state of your company. Whatever the reason, it’s probably time to upgrade to a website you can proudly share.
2. Is your website generating leads?
Long gone are the days of the static brochureware site you set and forget. Your site should be a regularly updated, dynamic marketing hub allowing visitors to find it organically or are driven to by various means. Once there, your messaging must be concise with clear calls to action to capture their information and lead them to conversion.
3. Does the site display correctly in all browsers and devices?
If your website doesn’t work on mobile devices, not only are you turning away a huge audience with mobile overtaking desktop usage, you will also take a dramatic hit by Google in your rankings.
4. Is your website trying to say too much?
Many businesses make the mistake of throwing every word and every detail about their company’s products or services on their website, leaving it to the user to weed through massive blocks of text to find what they’re looking for. If your site has enormous amounts of text and little graphics to break it up, it’s time for a new site.
5. Have you rebranded recently?
With a new brand or brand update comes the daunting task of updating all of the ancillary collateral to go with it. Your website should be step one as this is the most accessible representative of your business. Don’t just update the logo and colors of your old site. Embrace the opportunity and take your brand to the next level with a modernized website as well.
6. Does your website rank well on search engine results?
If you’re struggling to get on the first three pages of a typical search related to your business, a new site with an emphasis on SEO is the cure.
7. Does your current website have the functionality and features you need?
Surprisingly a lot of business owners still cannot update their own website. A CMS is a must for any business. Or maybe you’re a retailer that does not yet have an online store. Make the investment now in the functionality you will need to thrive in the future.
8. Does your site look contemporary or clearly outdated?
If your site looks like it’s ten years old, then it’s not a good representation of your business and you’re long overdue for an upgrade.
9. Is your navigational structure organized the way you currently do business?
Maybe you’ve shifted focus or added offerings to your business that are not reflected in your site that hasn’t been updated in years. A flexible modern website can be easily edited to reflect the absolute latest the company has to offer.
10. Is your website your company’s brand ambassador?
It should be. Your website is most likely the first interaction with your brand a potential customer will have. The look, user experience, voice, and structure all contribute to that brand experience. If your site is not living up to the qualities of your brand, then it’s time to upgrade.
How old is your website?
The average website lifespan is 2.6 years (Orbit Media Studios).
While there can be sizeable costs involved, transforming your site into a powerful marketing engine will inevitably generate more revenue and garner you a larger following. Your search engine results will improve, you can drive traffic through email and social media campaigns to capture leads more effectively, and your company will put its best foot forward as potential customers interact with your brand.
