5 Signs That Tell, You Need a New Website

An average smartphone user replaces their phone every two years. Guess why? Because they start to become out-dated the moment you purchase them. Imagine at what speed technology is moving forward. When we say technology, it also includes web technology, which has become an integral part of our life in this digital age. However, it is also vital to know what is essential to remain in the competition. Just like you keep replacing your gadgets every alternate year to take advantage of new trends, similarly, you need to keep your websites updated to take maximum advantage of the latest in technology. So, how do you know if your website needs a makeover?

There are many signs to help you understand it, but here, we will discuss four major factors that any layman would understand. Be it the look of the website or the performance, each and every factor is necessary when it comes to increasing the traffic to your website.

1. Page Load Speed

This is one of the key reasons that your website needs a complete makeover. Mostly old websites face such problems. A slow website has a higher bounce rate, which in no way is good for the website ranking. To reduce the websites load time, you must take all necessary measures, like removing unwanted pages, avoid using third-party APIs, use lighter graphics and images, optimise images on the website, also make your hardware and backend compatible enough to process required data, especially when it interacts with the users regularly. No user will wait for your website to open. Your website must open within 3 seconds. If it is taking more time, you need to work on it.

2. Brand Image Missing

Many a time we see websites having a lot of unfocused and cluttered content. Such websites are unable to draw the attention of their audience to its crucial sections. The reason is, they are not focussing on their branding. Branding is essential if you want to stand out in the crowd. It gives you an identity that sets you apart from others. People know you for your brand and the value it stands for. If you have a website that is well-aligned with your products and services and projects the values that you believe in, it will create a positive impression about you in the market.

3. Falls Short of Current Trends

Technology is changing almost every day. We have new design elements and web development tools to enhance the looks, speeds, and functionality of websites. If you have not given a makeover to your website for a long time, then you are missing out on a big opportunity online. See what your successful competitors are doing. The content, the design, the features, and the speed, everything needs an impetus to make your online presence effective. Embrace new technology and incorporate trendy tools and techniques to stay in the competition in your industry. Certify your website with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) else your site will be considered unsafe for users. An SSL certificate is a crucial factor in improving the ranking of your website in the SERP.

4. Not Mobile-friendly or Responsive

Today, a major section of society is more frequent on their smartphones. Mobile phones have become an essential part of peoples’ life. No matter what you want, your hand goes out to search for your mobile phone for help. Be it, any news, any purchase, any comparison, booking tickets for travel, hiring a cab, booking a table in a hotel, listening to music, watching movies, or checking your fitness goals, or simply finding some important information, your smartphone is the one-stop place for all. In this age, when everything is available on mobile phones, and when an increasing number of businesses are trying to reach out to their audience via phone, it is highly recommended you also expand your base to mobile phones. No doubt your reach will increase, as with a mobile-friendly website, you can reach straight to the hands of individuals, helping you increase your online visibility.

5. User Experience

It is one of the most crucial factors that one cannot miss at any cost. If the website is unable to keep your audience engaged and satisfied, then it needs work. There are many reasons for dissatisfaction – slow page speed, unable to find the information they are looking for, not appealing to users design-wise (unable to impress), colour is strenuous to eyes, a lot of content but no objective, cluttered design elements, poor navigation, broken links, irrelevant information, not responsive or poor user engagement and many more. With millions of quality websites already out there, unless you provide complete information and a perfectly working website, you will fail to impress your target audience. So, do consider all factors while redesigning your website.