How long has it been since you took a good, hard look at your website? If you haven’t reworked your website in several years, the odds are good that now is the time for you to invest in a website redesign. If you’re reluctant to invest is a website redesign, you might be missing out on a number of opportunities in the short- and long-term just to save some money now.
Think about it for a moment. Worldwide mobile Internet consumption overtook desktop for the first time in October, 2016. It’s estimated that users currently spend an average of 69 percent of their media time using their smartphones. If your current website isn’t mobile-friendly, can you imagine the opportunities you’re missing?
If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, things may get even worse in the very near future. That’s because Google is switching to a mobile-first index on a global scale in the weeks ahead. Instead of basing its search results on websites made for desktop, Google’s SERPs will be based on mobile websites instead. This switch has the potential to dramatically change where your website lands in SERPs, if it appears in them at all.

Signs You’re in Need of a Website Redesign

While not having a website that’s optimized for mobile is a sure-fire indication that your website needs some work, it’s far from the only sign that you should redesign your website. Here are some additional indicators that you should invest in redesigning your website:

Your Website Looks Dated

In many instances, your website will be responsible for the first impression consumers have of your business. If your website looks dated, it may give the impression that you’re not on top of the latest advancements or trends. This impression can drive your traffic to your competitors’ websites pretty quickly, especially if you’re in an industry like technology where things change quickly and regularly.

Your Website Doesn’t Provide a Seamless Experience Across Devices

Today, people will visit your website using an array of devices, including their tablets, smartphones, laptops and televisions. Consumers expect your website to deliver the same, seamless experience no matter what they’re using to view your site. If your website cannot do this, you need to redesign your website as soon as possible to avoid alienating your customers and prospects.

Your Website Provides a Poor User Experience

While the definition of “user experience,” or UX, is still evolving, the term basically refers to the emotional experience people have then they visit your website. A lot contributes to a website’s user experience, including your color scheme, user interface, content and even the fonts you use.
It’s imperative for you to focus on user experience because nearly 90 percent of consumers will hesitate to return to a given website after they have a bad experience. If your website is difficult to navigate, your pages take too long to load or your web design is too complex, it’s likely your site is providing a poor user experience. If that’s the case, it can do more than prevent people from returning to your website. It can also negatively influence where your site ends up in search engine results pages.

Your Website Is No Longer Aligned with Your Marketing Goals

Your website is one of the foundational pillars of your digital marketing strategy, or it should be at least. Depending on the industry you’re in, your website may even function as a salesperson or informative resource that’s available 24/7. As your business grows, your sales and marketing goals will probably change in kind.
While you may focus on increasing brand awareness when your business is a startup, gaining sales may become more important just months later. If your website is no longer aligned with your sales and marketing goals, it’s time to redesign your site so that it actively supports your objectives. Remember, your website will continue to represent your business long after you’ve gone to bed so it’s vital for your site to always be in line with your goals.

Your Content Doesn’t Communicate the Right Messages

There is no doubt about it – content is still king online and that’s not going to change anytime soon. If your existing content isn’t communicating the right messages and delivering information in the formats your target audience prefers, investing in a redesign is advisable. Content that’s not updated regularly and fine-tuned so that it resonates with your target audience will make your organization seem stagnant and out of touch, which will be off-putting to your visitors.

Your Website Doesn’t Have Video

Many people are visual learners and they prefer watching a video about a product over reading about the item. More accurately, 72 percent of people would rather watch a video instead of reading text when both are available on a webpage. Today more than ever, it’s vital for you to incorporate video into your web design if you want to be successful.
If you’re questioning the value of using video on your website, consider the following:

• 97 percent of marketers claim video has helped their website’s visitors understand the products or services they sell
• 76 percent of marketers say video has enabled them to increase sales, and the same percentage claims video helped increase website traffic
• 80 percent of marketing professionals say video has increased the length of time people spend on their website
• 81 percent of consumers claim watching a video motivated them to purchase a product or service

Your Website Has Outdated or Broken Third-Party Features

A lot of modern websites use third-party tools to enhance their functionality, such as ecommerce plugins or scripts to embed blog or social media feeds. If you have these things on your website and they’re outdated or dysfunctional, you should consider redesigning your website before they hurt your rank in SERPs, frustrate your visitors and contribute to a poor user experience.

Connect with an Experienced Web Designer

If your website is showing any of the signs that it needs a redesign or you haven’t prepped your site for a mobile-first world yet, you should contact Musselwhite Marketing. We have a full menu of website design services and our experts will create a website for you that your visitors will love as much as you do. Contact us to learn more about our website design services today. Click here if you’d like to search other website design companies.