First and foremost, congratulations on this step in your business! I know it can be a big step, but it will be so worth it! Having a website that does more than just say what you do, but also shines your personality and highlights your service or product in an effective way, is so beyond worth it!

Without further ado, here are some signs you should invest in a new website!

1. Your old site is distracting

Many websites I come across are very distracting with flash animation, automatic songs going in the background, or a landing site instead of immediately going to the quick-loading site. I know you may want to share ALL THE THINGS on your homepage, but having a website designer help you not only create the site but also assist in your copy will help potential clients get to the meat of your content and know right away if they want to hire or buy from you. Find a web designer who can help you figure out your MAIN call-to-action and then make that clear on every page.

2. It’s not mobile friendly

This one is huge – “In 2009 only 0.7% of web traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones…In 2017 mobile accounts for 50.3% of all web traffic generated worldwide” and that number only continues to grow. If your website doesn’t look good on a cellphone, you will be overlooked by many potential customers.

3. It loads slowly

This is frequently overlooked!  Check how fast your site loads on Google Pagespeed or Uptrends. Make sure you are at least in the yellow range for each. A few hacks if your website is loading slowly and you don’t want to design a new website: properly size your images, make sure your images are in JPEG 2000 or JPEG XR form instead of PNG or JPEG, and use the least amount of CSS (coding) as you can.  These steps will help you have higher user engagement, more pageviews, and improved conversion.

4. It can’t be found on search engines

The strategies you used in the past for search engine optimization (“SEO”) are not the same ones you should be using now. If your site is not being found in Google searches, it may be time for an overhaul. Your web designer will make sure to implement keywords throughout the site, make sure your H1 headings are accurately labeled, and help you with SEO-friendly page titles. If you are wanting to DIY it, check out this guide I found that talks about the different aspects of SEO!

5. Your site is old

Did you know that most companies do some type of website redesign every 2 to 3 years?! This keeps things fresh and interesting, and also helps you to stay relevant to your prospective clients. If you are unsure if your site appears old send it to an honest 18-30 year old; they will let you know!

6. Your services aren’t correct

This should be an obvious one, but take a look at your website. Today, businesses are changing yearly to accommodate the needs of their clients. If you have your old services, it is DEFINITELY time to update your site and may be time for a redesign.

7. You don’t have your social media accounts featured

I am talking about more than just the button.  If you use one social media platform as your main source of marketing, a live stream of the updates should be featured in your footer.

8. It is not user-friendly

It is so important that the user of your site goes through a JOURNEY. When I am mapping out someone’s site, I decide where I want them to go from the home page. Usually it is the Services page and from there, to the Product page or Contact page. You want this journey to be seamless and also easy to navigate, full of on-brand buttons that stand out.

If you need any help deciding if your site is ready for an overhaul, I offer a FREE homepage analysis of things you can improve to make your site more current.  This will help you decide if they are easy changes you can make or something requiring upgrading!  You can email me at bekah@rebekahreadcreative with the headline “website analysis” and your website in the body and I will get it back to you within a week!