Should I Redesign My Website?
The digital landscape is constantly changing, so much so that it can sometimes feel hard to keep up. You may already have a website for your business, but you may feel like it doesn’t truly represent your brand well, that it doesn’t compete with others in your industry, or most importantly, that it’s not converting web visitors into clients or customers.
Now is the perfect time to take a look at your digital presence and think about what might need to be adjusted. Redesigning and launching a new website is an exciting endeavor and with the right marketing partner, it will feel seamless.
Is it time for a new website? We’re sharing five signs that it may be time to invest in a website redesign.
1. Your Website Isn’t Converting
Your first sign that you need a new website is that it isn’t converting web visitors into customers or leads. The first thing your website should do to encourage conversion is clearly state your business’ value proposition. This will increase the likelihood that your website visitor will click through any next steps to become an active customer or client. The steps involved in converting a website visitor is called the conversion funnel.
Another important feature of a conversion-friendly website are clear and easy calls-to-action. Sales copy and calls-to-action should be short and engaging like “download an e-book,” “buy now,” or “contact us today.” You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to clearly state what you are asking your potential customer to do. Ultimately, if you can’t tie new business leads to your website, you are in the market for an upgrade.
2. Your Website Isn’t Mobile Optimized
Another sign that you need a new website is if your current website is not mobile optimized and built in responsive design.
People are constantly on their mobile devices, doing their digital research on their phones or tablets. We’re seeing at least half of website visitors coming to our clients’ sites from their mobile device, and that number is growing every day. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you’ll instantly turn away many visitors.
3. You Have Too Much Text on Your Website
If your website home page is very copy-heavy, you may be turning potential customers away before they get to the important part of your story. Like a newspaper that tries to keep the most important and engaging information “above the fold,” your website should grab and interest readers “above the scroll.” Don’t count on customers to read every word to get your message. Be engaging and to the point.
That being said, having updated content on your website is important. Having regularly updating content like blogs, case studies, research reports, white papers, or news, shows potential customers the latest information about you and improves Google search rankings. Maintaining this balance of straightforward business propositions and calls to action merged with a surplus of quality, updated content can be time consuming. Bellrae Marketing has a team of content experts who can help you if you don’t know the best next steps for adjusting the content balance on your website.
4. Is Your Website Optimized with the Best Keywords For Your Brand?
One of the top sources of web traffic to most sites is via Google, or a similar search engine. Without an optimized website, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic. If you’ve noticed your traffic has stagnated or decreased, you may need a search engine optimization evaluation.
In addition to having the right keywords in the right places, functionality and user experience also plays a role in how Google and other search engines view your website. A website with a bad user experience (UX) will not rank highly. So make sure your web designer also has experience with SEO, in addition to UX.
5. Your Website Is Saturated with Stock Images
If your website and social media channels are full of stock images, it might be time for a refresh. Having authentic, unique images for your business has proven engagement power. Customers resonate with photos that are authentic and truly reflect who you are. Additionally, drone photography and videography can take the representation of your business online literally to new heights, should your brand warrant it.
A Full-Service Website Designer
At Bellrae Marketing we want to make the website design process seamless. We take a holistic approach to every website redesign. Our team has the capability to take care of the design and development, write on-brand web copy, optimize your website, and take new, updated photos and videos. Everything you need for your new website under one roof!
Do I Need a New Website?
Questions to ask yourself as you take a strategic look at your current website:
- Is my website converting traffic into clients or customers?
- Is my website adding value to my audience?
- Is my website mobile friendly?
- Does my website have a high bounce rate?
- Does it accurately represent my business with authentic photos and content?
- Is it up-to-date with new information, such as case studies and blogs?
- Is my website user-friendly and easy to navigate?
Your answers to the questions above will help you determine whether a new website should be on your horizon.
We’re happy to offer you a new, free website design resource: The Website Workbook by Bellrae Marketing. This Workbook includes practical steps and exercises to help set you up for success prior to even hiring a website designer and developer. Download your free copy today to get started!