8 Signs Your Website Needs an Upgrade
Thinktech Software company
Mobile Application , AR and VR App, Website Development , Ecommerce Development, Digital Marketing
When was the last time you updated your webpage? A business can undergo many changes, such as changes to its services and customer communication. You may even upgrade your branding. But what would someone think of your business if your current site lacked the above-mentioned details and information?
If your current site is outdated, slow, or confusing to navigate, you might lose out on potential customers. They will judge your website harshly, even if these negative judgments are very real, as they are based on the outdated, old stuff they found on your website. This can further affect whether a customer can trust you, damaging your business credibility online.
Even if you think you recently redesigned the website, you need to keep track of industry trends and keep it updated, as this can go a long way towards building trust online and winning more customers!
If your website no longer showcases your business's current developments, it might be time for an update. Here are 8 key areas to check:
1. Visual Design
Around 48% of people judge a website by looking at its design, making it the number one factor in determining a business's credibility. Further, it only takes about a second for someone to form an opinion about your 'outdated' website and whether they'll stay or leave.
Your website design should be so updated and captivating that it can make a lasting impression on users, who will take in the visual design of your website in that first fraction of a second.
But when your potential customers find an outdated website by looking at the colors, layouts, spacing, images, and more, they will quickly exit, increasing your website's bounce rate. Therefore, take a look at your website now. Is that the first impression you want to give to your future clients?
2. Branding and Messaging
If your branding elements, such as logo usage, color palette, and typography, are inconsistent across different platforms and pages, you need to fix them as soon as possible. Does your website connect with your current brand guidelines? Is there a brand guideline that you follow?
Your inconsistent branding can confuse visitors and create a negative impact on your brand.
If you think that branding means just creating a logo or a catchy tagline, you are wrong. It also extends beyond your messaging or how you communicate and interact with your target audience. When you don't utilize the right messaging, you may fail to engage visitors and differentiate your business from your rivals.
Branding and messaging are two factors that work hand-in-hand. Together, they reflect your unique value proposition and approach while promoting brand recognition, trust, and customer loyalty.
3. Mobile Responsiveness
Make sure you check by looking at a website on your phone or tablet that is too difficult to read. You will understand the value of a well-designed website with easy navigation. A poorly designed website is not fun and has the potential to change your impression of a company. Since over 50% of web traffic is taking place on mobile devices, having a "responsive" design is a must in this digital age if you want to reach your customers.
Mobile responsiveness is how a website responds to the size of the screen on which it's being displayed. When you create a responsive website, it automatically adjusts itself so that it will look good on whatever screen size it is being used.
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But many websites are losing out on potential customers because they have still not made their site mobile-friendly!
4. Search engine optimization (SEO)
You must ensure that you are using an effective SEO strategy that will help your website content rank high in search engine results.
It is not a new concept anymore, as more and more people are utilizing SEO to beat their competitors and get the top rank in search results. Now, Google has updated its algorithm so that no one can cheat their way to the top rank by using "black hat" tactics. They've also added more paid ads, minimizing the chances of non-paid ads appearing on search results.
If you utilize SEO strategies effectively, ranking in the top three positions organically can earn you more than 50% of the total click-throughs.
SEO optimization is not just about having the right "keywords" on your web page. Some technical requirements, such as having a mobile-responsive website, page loading speed, an up-to-date Google My Business profile, putting Header Tags in your content, using the right meta descriptions, and consistency with the right type of content, can help your website reach its potential clients.
5. Web Accessibility
Checking your web accessibility is also important so that your web page can also be accessed by those who are disabled. For this, you have to ensure that your website has the following features:
This will allow you to prioritize web accessibility and comply with legal requirements. Further, web accessibility is the right thing to do, keeping the legal issues aside, and can benefit your business in more ways than you think!
6. Page Load Speed
Your website's loading speed matters, as almost 47% of people expect a site to load in 2 seconds or less. And 40% of people can leave your site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. So, knowing how to speed up your site can make all the difference. Below are some of the technical components that can impact your page speed:
You need to test whether your web page is loading quickly or not by using some free tools available. And, if your site is slow, it means that it requires an update in the background technology, for which you'll most likely need the help of a web professional to get things in order.
Most of your ideal customers begin their journey to find a solution to their problems by searching on the internet. When they do so, will they find your company? If not, it could be time to update your website to incorporate some upgrades so that you don't end up losing all your site visitors.