It’s a great feeling when you finally get those kitchen cabinets redone or trade in your old car for a shiny, newer model. Let’s face it. Things get dull and lose their luster. They stop working the way they used to or they are improved. Websites are no different. In fact, websites tend to look older a lot faster because of how quickly technology and design trends change. On average, design trends change every 3 years or so. So if you haven’t redesigned in the last 5 years, chances are, your website looks outdated and it’s time for a website redesign!
Everyone knows that having an easy-to-use, modern and responsive website is extremely important for any business. And everyone knows that a website is not a luxury for a business but an essential tool. And in some cases, a great website can act as your 24/7 salesperson.
So how do you know if it’s time to take the plunge and invest in a website redesign or facelift? Here are 5 reasons to help you determine if it’s time to redesign!
1. Your site is not responsive and does not provide a seamless experience across all devices
It’s a known fact that people are on their phones and tablets more often than they are on their laptops and desktops. So ensuring that your website looks and functions correctly across all devices is a necessity. In fact, it’s so important that not doing so will ensure that Google penalizes your site for not being responsive, thus hurting your search engine rankings in the process. You can read all about how Google Search has expanded their use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal from Google’s Make Sure Your Site’s Ready for Mobile-Friendly Search Results guidelines.
2. Your site is slow to load
Another known fact is that people don’t like to wait. They want information quickly and they want to be able to use the time they have on the web as efficiently as possible. More than 50% of visitors to mobile sites abandon a mobile site if the site takes longer than three seconds to load. So it’s safe to say, no one likes a slow site.
And as you guessed, Google doesn’t like it if your website is slow, too. Google wants to give its visitors great search results. And if your mobile site is slow, Google will penalize your site because it leads to frustration for your visitor. Google has gone on record saying that page speed is a ranking factor in its mobile-first index of results and you can read all about it in their Using Page Speed in Mobile Search Ranking article.
3. The competition has redesigned!
Most business owners have a lot on their plate and often times, they just don’t realize that their website is outdated. A good way to find out is to check your competitors. If they have recently changed their website or rebranded their look, it’s time to redesign! Outdated website designs aren’t just about looking good. It’s a subtle signal to your audience that you haven’t taken the time to keep up with the times and that perhaps, your business isn’t thriving.
4. Your site looks three, five or ten years old.
Outdated on the web is quick to spot. And your visitors will be able to pick up on that outdated design even if they do not have any design experience. If your visitors are visiting your competitor’s websites and yours is outdated, this could hurt your business overall. In general, website trends change every 3 to 5 years. So if you haven’t redesigned in over 5 years, chances are, your site looks outdated and it’s time for a redesign!
5. Some of your content just doesn’t work right.
Are some of the images or content on your website not showing up correctly? Are you still using Flash on your site? Are your users experiencing glitches on your site? While some of these things can be fixed with a simple update, in some cases these are signs that it’s time to redesign!