Should you get a website redesign?
A little over a week ago, our air conditioner went out. Now, with it being Michigan and all, it’s not the end of the world. Although, it happened to be during one of our heat waves, so it wasn’t fun. My mother-in-law was up from Texas and the joke was that we we helping her stay acclimated to Texas weather.
Well, after trying numerous DIY methods without any success, I decided a couple days ago to admit defeat and call an HVAC specialist. As we have a Trane heat pump to cool our house, I wanted to find a local Trane certified dealer. I did some research and quickly found a few companies who had good reviews in the Metro Detroit area.
Next, I visited each of their websites to get the phone number. Of my list of about five companies, three of them had poor websites. Instantly, my options were narrowed down to two companies. Eventually, I picked a company and they fixed my air conditioning without a problem.
When I see a website that doesn’t look good, it make me wonder about the seriousness of the company. How professional are they really? I know this isn’t fair, but I also know I’m not the only one who thinks this way.
Seven Reasons To Get A New Website Redesign
1. It’s not mobile friendly
Did you know that back in 2015, mobile audiences for the top sites, surpassed the desktop audience. Four years ago, having a responsive, mobile-friendly website was a nice-to-have feature. Today it’s a requirement. Google also penalizes sites that aren’t mobile-friendly.
2. It takes forever to load
In 2008, Amazon discovered that one in four people abandoned a page if it took longer than four seconds to load. We are people; we are impatient. If your site takes too long to load, we will never see it. Just as with the above, Google penalizes slow-loading sites as well.
3. It’s Outdated
Trends come and go, especially with websites. If your site looks like it was built in the last 2000’s, it probably was.
4. Your Brand Isn’t the Same
I’m a classic example of this. Four years ago, I focused more on graphic design, and now I focus more on custom WordPress development. If you site doesn’t focus on your brand at this point in time, how much good is it doing you?
5. You Have No Control Over Content
It’s 2016. There’s plenty of quality content management systems out there. Why do you need to pay a developer to change a few lines of text on a page, when you can easily do it yourself?
6. All of Your Competitors Have Had a Website Redesign
As I mentioned in my earlier example, I had a list of fic HVAC companies, and two stood out. Imagine if there were for sites that were well designed, and one that wasn’t. If that site’s yours, then good luck getting business.
7. It Embarasses You
Let’s face it: if someone asks you for your website’s URL, and you’re hesitant to give it out because you know it’s not good, then it’s time to do something about it.
Whether your site qualifies for all or just one of these reasons, it may be time to consider getting a website redesign done. After four years, it’s way past time for mine to be redesigned. If I can do it, then so can you.