There isn’t exactly any right or wrong answer to when or how often you should look at redesigning your site. It really depends on what type of business you are. In some sectors it is necessary to update your site more often than others. The typical timeframe between website redesigns is roughly 3-5 years.
If you are in any doubt about whether your website does need a design refresh, hopefully the following reasons will help you decide!
Your clients may say your website is bad without you even realising!
If you are getting comments like “I couldn’t see that on your website” or “Do you have a website?” this could be a big hint that you really need a redesign.
Some clients will let you know if your website is not user friendly. It pays to take notice of these clients as there will be others that are too nice to tell you they think your website is, well, just not great!
If visitors can’t simply find what they want on your site, they are likely to click off and look elsewhere.
The most successful businesses have consistent professional branding that is reflected through all their offline and online marketing materials.
You may have recently updated some of your branding but not yet refreshed your website.
It’s very important to make sure your branding is consistent to save creating confusion in the minds of your audience.
A consistent brand builds greater trust and will result in more loyal clients.
Have all your competitors recently had new website designs?
This could mean your competition is taking over your place in the market.
The appearance of your website can reflect on how prospects view your company.
First impressions count and users can quickly compare you to your competition online.
Keep your website design refreshed and stay ahead of your competitors.
Is your website mobile friendly?
Approximately 60% off all web traffic comes from mobile users. (This will obviously be slightly different if for example your target audience is elderly people, however this still doesn’t mean your site shouldn’t be fully responsive)
If your website isn’t responsive, you may be missing out on a lot of traffic and leads.
It’s not only users that like responsive sites, search engines like Google also favour sites that function correctly when viewed on any device.
How is your website ranking?
Is it moving up the ranks or has it started to drop down?
Although a decrease in rankings can be the result of many different factors, one of them might be that your design is not properly optimised for search engines. Often it is easier to completely redesign a site that isn’t currently optimised, rather than try to patch up and make good. Ensure all your images are optimised, you have necessary headings, and all metadata is adjusted.
Does your marketing team utter a unanimous groan when you mention adding a new product or newsletter to your website?
This may point to the fact your website is built with outdated technologies and isn’t well structured.
A new website design could give your team greater control and make achieving your marketing goals a much easier task.
You’ve heard how websites can do wonderful things for your lead generation strategy, but yours just doesn’t seem to be cutting it.
This may well be due to your website design. If your site doesn’t inspire visitors to contact you or purchase your products, it’s highly likely your website urgently needs redesigning.
It could also be that you have changed your marketing strategy and your website is no longer in line with your plan.
Your website is the online face of your company. Take a look at your website…. does it still truly represent your business, your values, and your culture? It sometimes helps to get some honest feedback from someone outside your organisation, that can take a look at your website with no emotional attachments to it. When looking at your own website, it can sometimes be difficult to see it in the eyes of your clients.
At Guzzbury Studio, we don’t believe there is any generic timeframe whereby you must update your website design. Based in Taunton, website design is our passion…we’re here to make your website redesign simple and stress-free!
Get in touch with us to request your quotation
