This question has been on my mind even before I worked in the digital marketing industry. I have worked with many business owners who work in different industries, and they all had their opinions about the importance of websites – particularly their own and how it relates to their industry. After listening to many customers who I have tried to convince to redesign their website, I can truly say I can empathize with all of them when they say…

“Ugh! A redesign is so expensive!”

“I’ve had multiple bad experiences when redoing my website.”

“It takes so much work building a website.”

“I’m actually embarrassed about my website.”

“We don’t really generate much business through our website.”

“No one really looks at our website.”

But let’s get to the hard truth here. For your business to thrive, you shouldn’t just rely on your own opinion as a business owner. Everything is evolving every year, and I mean everything! From your competitors to the art of building websites. Even websites that were built in 2019 or 2020 look completely different from websites that were built in 2022 and 2023. Aside from that, your industry is also evolving. I always get reminded of Nokia when I think of evolution in business. Nokia was a heavyweight company in the cellphone industry many years ago, but now, they’re nowhere near the top cellphone companies in the world. For sure, when I mentioned the name Nokia, these words came to your mind – old, outdated, extinct, and many more that don’t speak good about the business.

So, when do you REALLY need to redesign your website? To give you a straight answer, on average, it should be every 2-3 years. Yes, it can depend on several factors. There are even businesses out there who redesign their websites every 6 months to a year (yes, it can be that frequent).

I am grateful for the fact that I wasn’t born into a family of marketing consultants, that way, I know can see through the lens of a customer. When I got my start in the digital marketing world, that was when the “technicalities” became clear on the importance of redesigning a website. Now, based on my experience as a customer and a consultant, I’ve compiled different reasons to guide business owners so that they can determine when it’s time to redesign their website.

Image

As a customer, I tend to judge a brand or company straight up when I see the design of their website. If you want an honest opinion about your website, ask a kid for feedback – they have a natural eye for design and structure. I think of a website as a company’s image. Of course, that’s just one aspect of their image. It can boil down to customer service, quality of products or services, etc.

Think of it like this, when it comes to a simple meeting, you dress up appropriately because you value your image. It should be the same when it comes to your website. Whenever people see a website that has a very bad/outdated design, I tend to think that the company doesn’t value their image, and that can affect a customer’s perception about the company as a whole.

Out of Business Indicators

To be honest, when I see a website that looks like it was built around 7-10 years ago or more, I tend to think that the company is not in business anymore. I don’t even have to provide any statistics. No question, I will most likely just go to another company’s website.

Updated Content and Structure

Speaking of having an outdated website, that can also include content in the conversation. If you want to show that you’re an active business, try updating your content and make sure all the needed information is on its respective pages, especially the Home Page. With regard to content, you have to make sure your website is structured so well that your current customers and potential customers can navigate through it with ease. Remember, customers can be impatient. If they can’t find the info they’re looking for, they’ll most likely just leave the website.

Slow Loading Time – Both for Desktop and Mobile

I’ve seen websites that load so slowly, it makes you think that the website is down. Moreover, the fact that customers can be impatient is definitely a reason why you need to prioritize the loading speed of your website. A lot of people are always using their phones nowadays. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile viewing, that’s also another reason why they will most likely just bounce from the website. A website redesign can fix the speed of a website by updating the codes and applying best practices to make sure your customers have a smooth experience.

Furthermore, this can help boost your SEO too. If your website can’t be found on the internet or your customers are having a hard time finding your website, you should work on this right away. One of the key performance indicators that Google considers is the website loading speed. Google can rank you higher than your competitors just because of this. I would suggest that you supplement your marketing strategy with other SEO deliverables (on page and off page) if you really want to boost your rankings.

Brand Changing

If your company recently rebranded, no doubt, you should redesign your website. A new brand can mean new colors to your logo, which should match the look and feel of your website or if your business goals have changed. Either way, it’s important that this aligns with your website.

Conclusion:

Remember, your website wasn’t created just because “everyone has it and so I need it too.” It is for you to utilize it and show your customers and potential customers why they should go with you. Also, take note that people are always very curious. When you go to conferences or meet people outside of your office, the people you meet will search for you online. Your website is your brand and can be your 24/7 salesperson. People can go view it at 3am in the morning and decide if your business is the right fit for them.

A website redesign is not a want, it is a need for businesses. Sure, there are companies who have lasted for many years even though they don’t pay much to their marketing or they haven’t redesigned their website for more than 10 years already. However, if you really want to grow, you have to try something different. Surely, we don’t want to end up like Nokia, which resisted change. Take initiative now and adapt!

If you have any questions, or like to schedule a call with Claire of VP of Sales, click here