Let’s get real. Anytime you have a burning question you need answered, or you want to research a company or product, where’s the first place you go? All together now…the Internet. The Internet has become our one and only source of knowledge about anything and everything. We’ve come a very long way in a short amount of time, and keeping up with the Joneses (should we change this to the Jetsons?) can be difficult at times.
So, what should be one of your top priorities when developing an effective marketing strategy? You guessed it: your website design. Keeping your website fresh and up-to-date is a key factor in attracting prospects, generating qualified leads, and converting those leads into customers. If you’re questioning whether or not your website might need a facelift, we’ve laid out 6 telltale signs it’s time for a redesign.
1. It’s not mobile-friendly
The secret is way out: (Mostly) everyone has a smartphone. iPhone or Android, we are constantly on our phones, playing games, texting, stalking people on social media, and, most importantly, researching products. A 2014 study found that up to 60% of consumers used mobile exclusively to make a purchase decision for telecom, restaurants, auto, and entertainment. If that doesn’t do much for you, this study also showed that 10.6 billion online visits were made on a smartphone compared to 5.8 billion on a PC. And you can bet those numbers have only increased since then. If you want to boost your lead generation efforts, you need to make sure your website is up to Google’s mobile standards and is optimized for multiple devices.
2. It needs a serious facelift
It might be hard to look at your website from an outside perspective, but try to get a feel for what your site looks like to a brand new visitor. Ask a friend, family member, or an outside person who’s never seen your site before for an honest opinion about your website design and its appeal, or lack thereof. If your website looks cluttered or like you’ve taken a time machine back to the 90s, visitors aren’t going to stick around to see if your product or services solve their pain points. It’s like the not-so-cute creep trying to hit on you at the bar. They’re going to want to get out of there ASAP and find a website that’s easier on the eyes.
Your website needs to be aesthetically pleasing. You can have targeted, share-worthy content, but if your site looks outdated, it won’t have the stickiness to convince visitors to stay awhile and explore your resources. And when visitors leave, business essentially leaves with them.
3. Your brand has changed
As your business expands and success ensues, you may want to rebrand your company, which is perfectly understandable. However, not updating your website to align with your new branding would be a horrible mistake. Keep all of your promotional materials, mission statement, and web pages updated as they reflect your branding message and your company’s personality. A cohesive visual brand identity will help you create and execute a successful integrated marketing strategy.
4. Your visitors need a TomTom to get around
Perhaps I’m dating myself with the use of “TomTom” (do I need to reiterate smartphone use?), but if your website is difficult to navigate, chances are your visitors are going to leave. Your visitors should have no trouble navigating your website; they should have easy access via a clearly visible menu bar. Remember, this is possibly their first time on your site. Design your website so they can quickly find what they need, whether that’s your product offerings, answers to their questions, or a “contact us” button.
5. The eagle has not landed…or just didn’t want to
Your homepage is the first page potential customers will be directed to. First impressions are lasting ones, so this page needs to encompass everything we’ve already touched on: up-to-date, mobile-friendly, and easy to use. You don’t need a song playing or confetti to go off when users arrive, but an organized, modern home page is sure to draw a visitor’s attention and increase their chances of transforming into a lead.
6. Your conversion rates have dropped
In simplest terms, your conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who have taken a desired action. Depending on the company, a conversion could count as filling out a form for contact information, subscribing to a newsletter, or making a purchase. If this rate plunges significantly or never really took off to begin with, that’s an obvious sign that something’s amiss. And more than likely, it’s your website.
Keeping your website up-to-date is a crucial step in cleaning up your marketing strategy. If your sales have dramatically dropped, or you haven’t updated your site in ages, it may be past time for a complete overhaul.
Is your website not delivering the results you expected? We’ll review your website and offer practical advice for optimizing your site, combating sluggish lead generation, and improving search rankings. Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation problem-solving session here.
