Is it Time for a New Website Design?

Know When Its Time For a New Website Design - First published on the Oh Wow Marketing Biz Blog

Your website design is the digital face of your company, and their importance cannot be overstated. In many cases, potential customers will come across your website or some social media profile before they’ll ever talk to you or a representative of your business directly. Around 78% of all internet users research products prior to purchasing anything.  So, a well-designed website could be the key to unlocking more sales. But, at what point should you think about a new website design? If you are earning consistent sales, should a redesign even be in your future?

In order to answer this question, you must have a good idea of what you want your new website design to do. For most businesses, their website is designed to provide company information, offer product details, and generally be a place to convert sales or secure leads. Redeveloping your website can help you make the most of your online presence.

Digital Professionalism

One of the most important aspects of your website design is the impression it leaves on your potential customers. If your site looks like it was cobbled together with templates in 15 minutes, then consumers will probably pass on anything you have to offer. Indeed, a Stanford University study indicated that 75% of people make judgments about a company’s credibility based largely on their website design.

A website that looks unprofessional, outdated, or even just bland may need a bit of sprucing up. After all, the average attention span in 2013 was just 8 seconds, and, on average, internet users only read about 28% of the words on any given webpage. A redesign that grabs attention and looks professional is automatically going to pull in more potential clients. A study by ResearchGate indicated that 94% of internet users believed a company was more trustworthy if their website looked professional.

If you haven’t updated your website in years, then it may be time to do so. Take a look at your competitors to see how you website stacks up. If they are using brand new design features and trends, then it may be time to up your game. Of course, you don’t want to imitate a competitor, but it’s always a good idea to look at what they’ve done and then take it a step further.

Preeminent Functionality

Of course, functionality should walk hand-in-hand with any aesthetic redevelopment. The websites of today are far different than those of even 5 or 6 years ago. There is an increased focus on navigation and ease-of-use, and, if your website remains a chaotic jumble, then you shouldn’t expect an uptick in online conversions. One survey showed that 76% of online consumers just wanted websites to be able to direct them where they needed to go. An astounding 40% of online consumers indicated that they would leave a website if it took more than 3 seconds to load.

On top of that, it’s important to recognize that functionality on a desktop computer isn’t the most important aspect of a website design anymore. In 2013, mobile phones accounted for 17% of web usage around the world. Since that time, mobile web usage has only increased. In fact, in the United States, 25% of all internet users exclusively access the internet from a mobile device. 20% of all Google searches are made from mobile devices, as well.

If your website design isn’t responsive, then you are likely alienating a wide swath of mobile users. You’re also limiting the amount of sales you could be receiving. A report by Econsultancy showed that 62% of companies that opted for a responsive redesign saw an increase in sales.  Without website redevelopment, you might be leaving money on the table.

Updated Content

Content is still king, but Google now prioritizes a different kind of content. As recently 3 or 4 years ago, you could have webpages that were just long lists of keywords, and you would be rewarded by Google. These days, Google’s algorithms only reward relevant, high-quality, and authoritative content. Considering that 93% of all online interactions start out on a search engine (most usually Google), it’s in your best interest to keep your content in the best SEO shape.

Sometimes, this means opting for an entirely new website design, especially if a lot of your content is currently Flash- or image-based. Google isn’t going to reward you for an intricately designed Flash website, even if it’s fun or cool to look at. Websites built using HTML5 tend to have a better shot at appearing higher in relevant Google searches. It’s also just a generally good idea to continually provide written content to your constituents. Indeed, a website design that incorporates a blog garners an average of 55% more traffic than websites that don’t.

You also just have to ensure that your content is going to be worth reading. One estimate showed that Americans are bombarded with over 100,000 words every day.

Clearly, investing in a new website design can pay dividends. It keeps your current customers more engaged and attracts new customers from a variety of different platforms. Even if your website is currently operating at a decent capacity, there’s always room for improvement. A fully optimized website can provide the exact bump your business needs.