7 Reasons It’s Time to Update Your Website Design
August 30, 2021
Business website technology changes fast. How do I know when it’s time to update my website?
But it still works.
Famous last words of a website marketing campaign. The business owner doesn’t want to update his website because it still shows up online and conveys the main message. Things haven’t changed that much. It still gets us some leads, still gets the job done.
But over time, the gap between getting the “job done” and attaining optimal results grows. Online technology evolves, and at times businesses must assess when it’s time to move their platforms with those changes.
You could use a 15-year-old website design if you wanted to. But there is no logical reason to wait that long to update your website. Here’s why.
#1. Content management systems
The first reason to update your website design is to take advantage of new tools. Platforms often update with functionality that improves your content creation and marketing efforts.
The main functional advantage in the past decade is the advent of the content management system (CMS). A CMS is a software interface that lets users update content without having to go into the back-end code.
It used to be that when a marketer wanted to add an image, change text, or create a simple page, she’d have to assign the work to a developer who’d use HTML or CSS to change the content on the website. A time-consuming extra step.
With a CMS platform, this marketer can make these changes without using programming language. The interface is as simple as a word processing program, requiring no technical skills.
If you’re still sending basic website changes to your developer, it’s time to update your website.
Learn more about the Websites 360® platform.
#2. Mobile users
Mobile devices are a user change requiring a website design update.
Today, over half of all online browsing takes place on mobile devices (that number may be far higher if you have a younger target demographic). These small screens need a different format to display web pages, called mobile responsive. This means that when someone views your web pages on their phone, it automatically formats the content so it’s easy to view and interact with on a small, touch screen.
Mobile responsive design was expensive, but like many website innovations, it’s become ubiquitous and is included in most template designs.
If your website isn’t mobile responsive, it’s time for an update.
#3 Affordable templates
Many small business owners cringe at the idea of getting a new website design because of the time and expense involved. And true, until recently most sites were custom designs that cost thousands and could take months to develop.
Today, however, there are many excellent templates that are CMS systems, mobile responsive, and far quicker to customize and take live. We used to spend months on website projects, but today our Websites 360 template designs can be customized in no-time.
Design time and costs are not the barriers they once were. You could update your website design today quickly and affordably on a template, with results superior to the custom designs of just a few years ago.
#4 Websites age in dog years
A year in a dog’s life is equivalent to seven years for a human.
About the same for website design. Your business ages one year, but for your website it’s more like six.
It may have been 3 years since you updated your website. But the perceptive effect of three years is far longer. And website designs are not wine. They don’t get better with age.
The point here is one of perception. A business website is not only your first impression, it’s the majority of your sales message. Google now estimates that 70% of the typical consumer buying journey takes place online. By the time a prospective customer reflects on your website content, they have pretty much decided to work with you – or not to.
The key role your website plays in lead generation and sales means it’s not a marketing tool to neglect. Much of the way you communicate value, evoke trust, and persuade action takes place on your website.
If it’s clear your site is outdated you’re going to be blown-off by researching consumers who know they can easily find a better alternative.
Again, the CMS gives you an advantage. With these tools, you can update your website on a regular basis, making sure your content and designs are fresh.
#5 Security and the user experience
This applies, in particular, to eCommerce websites.
If you are selling online, your search and transaction content must be simple, seamless, and secure. The slightest confusion or hint of doubt about the security and legitimacy of your website will kill your sales.
If you are marketing for eCommerce and you have anything less that a stellar design that’s eye-catching, user-friendly, and feels totally secure, you shouldn’t have the business in the first place. Time to update.
#6 Content creation and sharing
It used to be that websites added a blog to their domain. Now most websites have blogging functionality built in.
If your website isn’t already set-up with an easy to use blog, it’s time to update.
Blogging in an established strategy for any business trying to increase their SEO traffic and gain attention from consumers in the research phase of the buying cycle. Content answers pressing questions, fills information gaps, and displays your expertise. It’s easy to plug in sharing tools for social media amplification, embed videos, and optimize for keyword targets.
Your website and blog platform should make adding new blog content so simple you feel you could add a post a day. If your blog platform is cumbersome, update it.
#7 Responding to data
Is your website performing as well as it could? Are you getting the max number of conversions? How do you know?
One of the most important precursors to website changes is data on how your current content is performing. Digital marketing analytics tools like Marketing 360® provide data on how visitors respond, and insight into how you can improve your conversion results.
If your website is so old you haven’t added analytics to measure traffic, it’s time to update.
Data might tell you that it’s time to totally revamp and update your design. If you’re using a CMS, you can create new content to test and determine what does the best.
Without a doubt, the only way to get exceptional conversion results on your website is to modify and test your content. With modern website tools, you can efficiently create, test, update, and remove content. You should be trying different layouts, color schemes, word choice, offers, and calls to action.
If you’re not doing any of this because you’re using a static site you can’t modify, it is really time to update your website.
When it comes to digital marketing, complacency is dangerous. Maybe things are working today. But tomorrow comes fast in this age, with new competition, communication modes, and marketing tactics.
Take advantage of a tool like Websites 360’s CMS. Because today, the time you go from being ahead to falling behind isn’t measured in years, it’s measured in months – and sometimes weeks.
Put off these updates too long, and you’ll be out of business.
Originally published on 10/28/19
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