Knowing when to pull the plug on your current website can be difficult to determine. We’ve assembled a list of 5 of the most common reasons you need to think about overhauling your site. If your website suffers from one or more of these common reasons, be sure to check out our website redesign checklist, and navigate the process like a seasoned professional.
1. Your Current Website Is Old and Outdated
When it comes to the internet, websites and technology tend to age in dog years. What was considered cutting edge only a few years ago, quickly looks dated and out of place by modern standards. Take for example, the above screenshot of Amazon’s website from 2010 (courtesy of the Way Back Machine). Amazon’s 2010 version of their website looks drastically different then it’s current iteration, and that’s just from a design standpoint. Functionality and features that worked well in 2010 would feel clunky and out of place by today’s standards.
It’s also important to note the number of users accessing websites from mobile and tablet devices. According to StatCounter, in January of 2010 only 1.56% of website visitors accessed websites using mobile devices. Compare that to January of 2019 where 48.9% of website users accessed websites via mobile devices, that is a whopping 3034.615% increase during that time period.
Having a mobile version of your website is no longer an option in 2019. If your website does not load fast and is not mobile friendly, you will be hard pressed to compete in the current climate. This is such an important factor that Google has begun to penalize sites that are not optimized for mobile sites.
2. You’ve Taken Your Current DIY Site as Far as it Can Go
There is nothing wrong with using a DIY solution to build a website when you are starting a new business. Having a clean, inexpensive website can give your business a professional look as you network and introduce your business to prospective clients.
More importantly, building and marketing a professional website takes time and money that can be devoted to more pressing matters as you build your new business. While these types of websites are a good starting point, they have many limitations when you begin digital marketing or SEO work on your site.
DIY Websites typically suffer from a variety of issues including:
- Thin and poorly structured web content
- Unoptimized images and media files
- Bloated templates and page builders
- Slow server response and load times
- Poor or non-existent mobile responsive features
- Limitations on implementing advanced features and functionality
- Cut-rate shared hosting and bundle web services
3. Your Current Website is Broken and Poorly Maintained
As your website begins to age, it’s not uncommon for elements to break or become obsolete. This is especially common in scenarios where very little updates or maintenance have been done on the site. Just as you have to update your IOS on your phone, tablet, and computer, a well maintained website requires the occasional upgrade.
Just as an older car requires regular maintenance, your website is no different. As incompatibility issues arise and break features of your site, it can be difficult and costly to troubleshoot and fix issues. Many times, business owners lose touch with their original developer and have trouble changing or updating content.
4. You Need To Add New Features & Functionality
It’s not uncommon for your needs to change as your business grows, and your website is no different. Lack of features and functionality are a common reason for needing to redesign a website. The older and more outdated a site is, the harder it can be to incorporate new design and functionality elements.
DIY websites or outsourced work typically suffer from a patchwork solution of copy-paste code implementation. Often times it is easier to rebuild a website in this state then troubleshoot shoddy work. There can be a variety of roadblocks when it comes to adding new website functionality and features, a few common ones include:
- DIY or current web developer lacks the required skills/knowledge
- Current website lacks back end access required to update files
- Current website has been hacked, corrupted, or compromised
5. You Want to Begin Digital Marketing, Grow Organic Traffic, or Build Website Rankings Through Search Engine Optimization
We’re gonna fill you in on a little secret. Search Engine Optimization and digital marketing are complex and time consuming processes. Successful campaigns require a dedicated marketing budget and consistent approach. Depending on how competitive your industry is, it can be more difficult to rank for or bid on important keywords.
Google takes over 200 factors into consideration when determining how to rank your website in it’s organic search results. Many of these point back to foundational elements such as page speed, image optimization, and content structure. Trying to compete in this environment with a poorly optimized website only makes the process harder.
If we exclude all other forms of digital marketing and consider only Google Ads, many of these same ranking factors impact your ads placement, quality score, and cost per click. A poor website foundation can also make tracking conversions and other user actions difficult and time consuming to implement.
