This Week's Question: My website design looks old and unprofessional. How do I know when it's time to update my website design?
Transcription:
My website design looks old and unprofessional. How do I know when it's time to update my website design? Web designs are kind of like leftovers in your fridge - they do have a shelf life. A website design is generally is going to last for about three to five years before the technology or the look and the feel of the website needs to change. Leave it for seven or eight years, and your website design has really become that thing in the back of the fridge.
If you want to learn the signs to look for when it's time to update your website design, keep watching!
I'm Tom Malesic, founder and President, of EZMarketing, a website designer and SEO company in Lancaster, PA, and you're watching Ask EZ. This is where small business owners go to get real answers to their marketing questions.
7 signs you need a new website design
Here are the seven signs that it's time for a new website design.
#1: You're embarrassed
The biggest one that I hear and our very first one is, you're just embarrassed by it. If somebody asks you for your web address and you go, "Oh no no, don't look at it. It's kind of embarrassing; I haven't done anything for a while."
That's the greatest signal to you that it's time to update your website design. You deserve to have a website design that you can be proud of and if you're embarrassed by it, it's probably time to get a new website design.
#2: Out of date website design
The second reason to update your website design is that it's just out of date. Just like fashion, website design trends change over time and the website you built five years ago, might be showing its age today.
For example, if your website design has big margins on the side or doesn't fill the full screen of the website, it's probably time to make an update. It may have looked great when you build it 10 years ago, but today it's suddenly become the 80s hair and leg warmers of web design.
#3: Not mobile friendly
The third reason is your website's not mobile-friendly. More than half of your traffic probably comes from a mobile device, and at this point Google really prioritizes websites who are mobile-friendly.
It's now a standard in the industry to build all websites using responsive web design, and what that means is that your website design will respond to the size of the screen and look good no matter what device you're using. If your website's not mobile-friendly, it's time to update your web design.
#4: Outdated content
The fourth reason to get a new website design is that your content is out of date. You might have products or services on your site that you don't even offer anymore.
Your phone number might be wrong, or often we see websites that have employees that don't even work there anymore. Outdated content on your website can make your customers doubt your business and question your expertise.
#5: Content is ALL about you
The fifth reason to get a new website design is that the content on your website is all about you. Quite honestly, your customers don't really care about you, they care about how you're going to help them, and the problems that you're going to solve for them.
Your website design is your best salesperson, and if your best sales person is just bragging and it's all me, me, me that's going to be a problem, and those prospects are going to go away running.
#6: Using old technology
The sixth thing to look for when your website design is outdated is it's using old technology. Years ago, we had things like Flash, and we had some crazy animation, and often times we run into websites now that they look outdated or they're just broken because the technology no longer works anymore.
If you're using really old code, it might even be insecure, it's probably time to update your website design.
#7: Unprofessional web design
The seventh sign that you need a new website design is that your website might not have been built by a professional web designer. Maybe you had a friend build it, or use one of those do-it-yourself website builders.
As your business grows, it becomes more important to have a really professional website design. If your website is still home built, it's probably time to get a new web designer to update your webite.
Your homework
Here's your homework: if any of the things I said are true of your website design, then it's time to get a new website. Click the link below and fill out our contact form, and we'll do a free analysis of your web design and give you the advice that you need to get that professionally done website. As website design company serving Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg, we're here to help.
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