Should You Build a New Website?

Websites take time and money to create. Often, companies invest substantial sums in a website build, expecting it to last for years. So, it's frustrating for a business owner to spot issues or encounter programming fails. While a simple tune-up or minor update can fix some problems, it's also possible that your website requires a complete rebuild to meet changing user needs and technological advancements.

Because customers demand a seamless online experience, investing in website improvements is now a foundational element of long-term success and sustainability for almost any business or organization. Here are a few common reasons companies decide to rebuild websites from scratch.

Aging Programming

Many websites combine programming, CMS formats, hosting platforms, add-ins, and plug-ins. Most of those elements are continually updated to keep working. But sometimes, one or more details are not updated. Depending on how important that element is to your site, it could mandate a rebuild.

Often a business wants to add specific functionality to the site, but if the format or plug-ins are dated, they may not integrate with new tech. All sites eventually suffer from dated technology. That's why it's reasonable to plan to rebuild a new website every three to five years.

When planning a website update or rebuild, evaluate the website's current strengths and weaknesses, user feedback, and the latest web design and development trends. These analyses will help a new or updated website meet marketing and functional needs while delivering a satisfying user experience.

Customers Find Your Site Hard to Use

A bounce rate reports the percentage of site visitors who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page. Often those visitors are on the site for mere seconds. When a site's bounce rate is unusually consistently high (compared to industry averages), it's time to reevaluate the user experience. Why are customers leaving so quickly?

Sometimes slow site speeds are to blame. Other times, dated design, confusing navigation, or outdated information cause the user to leave. Sometimes, just too many clicks are needed to get the customer where they want to be. An updated or new site should make getting to the good stuff fast and easy.

User experience can be improved by providing an intuitive navigation structure, optimizing page loading speeds, reducing the number of clicks required to complete actions, providing relevant and up-to-date content, and using modern and responsive design.

Your Site Looks Funny on Mobile or Tablets

The ability of a website to format onto a desktop, mobile, or tablet is called responsiveness and is a critical element of any site. Effective websites must seamlessly resize and adjust to fit different screen sizes and resolutions. However, older websites may not be programmed with responsive design in mind and, as a result, may be difficult to read or navigate on different platforms. In such cases, updating or rebuilding the website may be necessary.

Site Has Become Glitchy

Over time, as more and more changes are made to your site, old code builds up. Sometimes this code stays neatly in the background. Other times, it gets in the way and confuses programming. As updates are made and new features are added, a site can accumulate a trail of inconsistencies in the underlying code. Eventually, programmers find that making changes is complex, costly, and a little bit risky. As a result, the site doesn't always react as intended.

Plug-ins are a common source of incompatible code. Most CMS platforms, such as WordPress or Shopify, support the use of third-party plugins. However, not all plug-ins are entirely compatible. Sometimes they work well together initially, but updates or upgrades cause compatibility issues over time.

When a site uses more than seven or eight plug-ins at once, it becomes less stable, and it may be time to think about rebuilding.

Rebuild or Reprogram?

User-friendly websites are critical to business success. A good website can improve user experience, increase website traffic, and enhance the overall performance and effectiveness of the website.

If you're considering reprogramming, redesigning, or rebuilding your website, contact Cup O Content to learn how we can help you build a site that people and search engines love.