5 Ways to Identify if You’re in Need of a Website Redesign

We all know that a well designed and functional website is a necessity today. Most prospects will view your site thoroughly before they make any form of contact with you. Having an out of date website can immediately lose their interest.

But how do you know when your website is out of date? Here are a few key tips on what to look for when evaluating your website’s design and functionality:

• Mobile. According to Pew Research Center, 45% of 18-29 year olds who use the Internet on their phone do most of their Web browsing from their mobile device. If your website is not optimized for mobile, you could be lagging behind the competition. Some things you will notice from a site not optimized for mobile are a cluttered layout, hard to read text and links that are hard to click without zooming in. A good mobile website is easy to read and focused so people can find the information that they are looking for quickly and easily.

• Compatibility. Open your website in a few different Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.). Notice anything different between the browsers? What might look perfectly fine in one browser could be completely different in another. Some things to keep an eye out for are strange text breaks, layout changes or spacing issues. Preferences in Web browsers change constantly and you want to make sure your site looks fine in all browsers or you could lose credibility. 

• Search Performance. Where does your site turn up when you search for it? Do you have to go through a few pages in the search results to find it? An optimized website is essential in getting more traffic and driving interest. After some research into search engine optimization (SEO), you can begin redesigning your website content to contain keywords to help your page rank. You may also consider adding a blog or content that is search engine optimized.

• Trends. Web design is like any other form of design, there are trends that come and go. Some out of date trends include scrolling text, animated images and music playing. Another outdated trend is the use of hit counters.

• New Content/Updating. How easily can you update content on your website? Do you have to call someone to have new pages, images or links added? Content management on the Web has become user friendly allowing someone in-house to make minor content updates. Having a content management system (CMS) will save you time and money and can be implemented easily.

If you find your website doesn’t meet current standards it might be time to start moving toward a redesign. As the Web continues to evolve, updating yours can add value to your brand, increase engagement and provide easier access to communicate with your prospects.