When is it Time to Update Your Website?

Posted on: October 14, 2020 1:20 pm

Website design | Kaizen Brand Evolution

After having some time to reflect on our own site over the past 6 months, we decide it was time to redesign and rebuild our website. Evolve it, if you will.

Our internal team got to work on what would become the new online home for Kaizen Brand Evolution. Now here we are, a few months later with a brand new site that truly reflects our recent work and where we are as a company today.

If we didn’t have the spare time over lockdown to explore the idea of developing a new website, would we have done it? Would we have spent the time designing and building it? Who knows. What we do know, is that while the past 6 months COVID-19 has caused a huge upset for most businesses, us alike. It forced us to press pause, re-evaluate and learn to do things differently. So while there have been huge downsides to the past 6 months, this is one positive we can take from it. Having the time to work on our new website.

So now we ask you – Is it time for a new website design and build?

Gone are the days of finding companies in your local print Yellow Pages. Now, people do nearly all of their product and service research online. However, this doesn’t mean you can have a website quickly slapped together and forget about it afterward. It takes time and knowledge to create a good website, and it’s well worth it if done correctly and maintained over its lifetime. Is your website losing you business? According to a new survey, 81% of internet users think less of a business if the website is not updated, and 39% would think twice about using a product or service if the website is not fresh, user friendly and current.

So, if you’re wondering how your site compares, here are some warning signs that it may be time to for an upgrade.

You’re getting traffic but no sales

You may well be in the position where your website has previously worked for you and your business, but you have noticed that sales seems to have dried up. If you find yourself in this situation then it’s time to take action. A large amount of traffic without sales suggests that you have an established website in the search engines, but there is something blocking your visitors from buying with you.

Before you go spending on a new website, it’s important that you make sure that there isn’t anything simple that you may be missing. There are many reasons why your customers may not be buying through your website that could well be because of a specific issue on your site. Rather than a more general usability issue, it could be that you are experiencing one of the following problems;

  • Part or all of your payment gateway is broken
  • Vital information isn’t displaying or is broken
  • Your site works on some devices and browsers but not others
  • You experience regular server errors or problems
  • You haven’t updated the website in a long time
  • Competitors are offering something you are not

If however, after looking closely at possible problems, you can’t find any blocks like the above, then it may well be time to think about investing in a new website. If you’re getting traffic but no sales then you are leaving money on the table. Here’s when it’s time to spend some cash;

No Clear Call To Action

One of the most common design mistakes is a lack of a clear call to action. Things like “contact us”, “shop now”, “watch video”, “sign up”, etc. are important for driving potential customers further down the buying funnel. These elements will encourage them to take an action that will benefit your business. Getting traffic to your site is nice, but it doesn’t mean much if people leave without taking any meaningful action.

Not Optimized For Google

A big sign that you need to update your website is if it wasn’t designed with search engines in mind. If Google can’t easily index your site, you likely won’t be showing up on the first page of search results. If your customers can’t find you, then they’ll likely go with whatever business is showing up at or near the top, as these companies are seen as more legitimate by many people.

Your website is unresponsive

Over half of web traffic is now made via mobile. And depending on your industry, it can be much higher than this. If you work B2C then your customers will invariably access your site via mobile phone. If your website isn’t responsive then you may as well be cutting off over half of your audience. 

Your site is difficult to navigate

Besides responsiveness, navigation issues are the next biggest killer when it comes to your sales. Your customers are not patient when it comes to their experience with you. If you can’t fulfil their requirements in a few shorts seconds or within a few clicks then they will disappear into the ether never to be seen again. Making your website as easy as possible to navigate is vital to ensuring you convert the traffic that is coming to your site. 

You are getting left behind

With ever-advancing technology comes ever-increasing expectations. While your website may be more or less functional, is it capable of providing the solutions that your customers expect? If you’re not looking forward then you will soon be left behind. Make sure you keep ahead of the curve and seek out the advantages made possible by new technologies. 

If you think that it may be time to invest in a new website but you aren’t quite sure, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team. At Kaizen Brand Evolution we can help you diagnose any issues that may be affecting your site. So, if you’re looking for honest and open advice on whether or not to take the plunge then get in touch today via our contact form or by calling 028 9507 2007.