The Right Time To Upgrade Your Website

10 Ways to KNOW It’s Time for a New Website

A new website is a big decision.

How do you know when your business is ready?

A GUIDE BY WEBEDGE MARKETING

Here are 10 signposts to tell if your current website is hindering the growth of your business.

Usability is one of the most important aspects of a website. If a visitor struggles to quickly and easily find the information they came to your website for, they will often leave without taking the key action you want like contacting you or making an online purchase.

A well-planned website should take into account both the kind of visitors you expect (your market) and what you expect them to be looking for. How will this influence their experience with your website? This thinking will allow your website to be an intuitive and helpful experience for your customers – instead of frustrating. Pair this thoughtful, customer-centric design with modern, reliable technology and you’re onto a winner.

If your customers are confused by your website or find it hard to use, it’s time to invest in a new website that better meets your customer’s needs.

Mobile web browsing is no longer unusual – many websites now see upwards of 50% of visitors using a mobile phone or tablet. If your website doesn’t work or is hard to read on small devices, not only will you alienate visitors on mobile, but you’ll also anger the “Google gods” and take a penalty on your search ranking.

A mobile-friendly website is no longer optional, it’s that simple. Smart businesses build websites that are not only “mobile friendly” but are actually designed specifically to provide a unique and smooth experience all while increasing conversions on any device the customer may be using.

Is your website hard to use on a mobile or tablet? Time for a new site!

With millions of websites at their fingertips, your average visitor just won’t put up with slow loading websites – they’ll simply move on to your competitors. In 2010, Google suggested that webpage loading time on desktop was a ranking factor (how high your website will be shown in search results) and have recently stated they will now be making it a ranking factor for mobile also.

The average website load time is around 10-seconds however SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) experts recommend aiming for 3 seconds or less. Great websites find a balance between providing a beautiful and interactive experience for the visitor while also being optimised for fast load times that satisfy visitors and search engines alike.

Is your website slow? You may be losing potential customers and free traffic!

There are many amazing businesses across the country but judging them solely on their websites, you’d never know! Your website should be both an online showroom and salesperson for your business. It should communicate the quality of your products and service, the depth of your experience, the uniqueness of your offering and the other aspects of your business that are important in the buying decision.

If you don’t put your best foot forward, you seriously diminish the chances of your prospect taking the next step.

If your website doesn’t give the same or a better impression than talking to you in-store, it’s time for a new website.

Your website is the cornerstone of all of your marketing. When a prospect interacts with your marketing, often their next step will be to visit your website. Does your website synergise with your broader marketing goals and messaging – or is there a disconnect between what’s said in your advertising, and what’s shown on your website?

If you are running TV and Radio Ads, the website should immediately display the specific message and offer of these ads. The same goes for online advertising like Google AdWords, Facebook or LinkedIn Ads.

If your business is on social media (and it should be) your website should interface with those platforms. Lastly, your website should focus be helping you build your customer database.

Is your marketing outpacing your website? It may be time to upgrade.

Many studies in recent times have confirmed that most consumers and B2B buyers start their buying journey with researching online.

Ever wanted to know if a business was open on Sunday or sold a particular product but couldn’t find the information on their website? I bet that more times than not, you tapped the back button and went to a competitor’s website.

On the inverse of this, many businesses put too much information on their website and bury the key points, like their unique selling proposition, in a sea of text.

Is your website not giving customers the information they want? You may need to refresh it.

We know customers are researching products online before they buy so what happens if they don’t find your business – and instead, find a competitor?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of providing “clues” to search engines like Google about the topic of your website and how it is relevant and useful for people searching those topics. Ideally, you want to show up towards the top of page 1 of search results for the right keywords. The right keywords are words your customers are using for when they are looking to make a purchase.

While a good deal of SEO happens through means not directly related to your website, it all starts with a solid on-page SEO foundation on your website.

Use this free tool for a rudimentary analysis of your SEO or contact us for a more comprehensive review.

Another helpful exercise is to imagine you are a buyer of your product – what would you search for? Now, open up Google (in “private mode” to avoid personalised results) and perform a few searches.

Does your business show up? If not, it may be time for a new website.

Yes, not all products and services can or should be purchased online, but more and more people want the convenience of transacting online.

You may feel that your product or service isn’t suitable to put online but it is important to do your research to figure out if your market is there. A great example of an unconventional thriving online business is Butcher Box, the online meat retailer with “10’s of millions in revenue”.

Rather than guess if your customers want it, we recommend you ask your existing customers for their honest opinion. Remember, even if they aren’t interested there may still be a latent market there. If you are a B2B business, think about how you can make interacting with your business easier for customers. Take for example a plant wholesaler. Let your buyers browse the latest stock and easily order online – you can still send an invoice to be paid offline as normal.

Is your website making it easy for customer to buy or book online? If not, considering upgrading your website.

With your average consumer researching purchases online, it is critical that your website shines.

Imagine this: you are walking down the street looking for somewhere to eat dinner. On one side of the road you spot a restaurant with a modern, unique façade and a well-presented menu that entices you. On the other side of the street you see another restaurant with a boring, rundown façade with no menu.

Now imagine you are searching online for a commercial cleaning service for your business. You go to Google and open up the first two websites – the first business has a modern unique website with lots of information about the service. The second business has an old generic website with little information about why I should deal with them.

Does your business website compete? Compare your current site to your main competitors with a critical and honest eye and decide for yourself.

Above all else, does your website convert?

What is the ultimate purpose of your website? For some businesses, it is to generate qualified enquiries, for others it means getting people in-store and for others it means producing an online purchase.

Does your website serve its purpose affectively? If not, it’s definitely time for a new website.

10 Ways to KNOW It’s Time for a New Website

A new website is a big decision.

How do you know when your business is ready?

A GUIDE BY WEBEDGE MARKETING

Here are 10 signposts to tell if your current website is hindering the growth of your business.

9 Critical Things You Must Check Before 'Getting in Bed' with NationBuilder

Investing in the wrong software platform is horrible nightmare many organisations find themselves in!

Take a minute to review this transparent guide that reveals who NationBuilder IS for and who it ISN'T for. Five minutes now could save you $1,000s not to mention the pounding headache of switching platforms (if it turns out that NationBuilder isn't right for your organisation).