Most of us adopt a simple rule when it comes to maintaining sanity with technology: if it’s not broken, don’t fix it! This is true for our home theater setups, our programmable toothbrushes and definitely for anything related to the internet. However, if you have a website for your business, it may be time to break that time-honored rule. An obsolete website not only makes your business look bad, it may also be losing business to your more tech-savvy competitors. How do you know if this applies to you? Read on for the warning signs that it’s time to update your website.

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Website Functionality

  • Get new customers. The main reason for having website is to find new customers. If your website isn’t bringing in new business, it may be time for an overhaul.
  • Improve usability. Your site is confusing to navigate and you find yourself repeatedly telling customers how to find the content they want. For every customer you give directions to, countless more just give up and go to your competitor’s site.
  • Speed up load times. Your site started out fine, but you’ve haphazardly added pages, images, and extra features over the years and now its runs slowly. Internet users have short attention spans – they may just leave and try another site if yours loads too slowly. This is especially true of mobile users.
  • Get what you want out of your site. Your site may work fine for your customers, but does it work for you? Are you able to make changes if you need to? Can you log in and manage orders or products without a major headache? If your site doesn’t meet your needs as well as your users’, it may be time to redesign it.

Website Branding / Messaging

Represent your brand. As your business grows, its message or target market may shift. Does your website reflect your current branding, or is it time to refine its messaging?

Keep Website Technology Up-to-date

  • Mobile friendly. More and more online shoppers are using their phones and tablets to browse potential products. Does your website work well (or at all) on mobile devices, or are you losing business to more tech-savvy competitors?
  • Social media is not just for teenagers anymore. Integrating your social media accounts with your website allows fans to communicate with you, and gives you extra credibility. Also, interacting with your customers through social media builds relationships that could turn into more business. Last but not least, social media interactions factor into your search engine rankings, and could give you a boost.
  • Add new functionality. Are you finally ready to take on the technological advances of the new millennium? Blogs, ecommerce, forms, online calendars / scheduling, interactive backgrounds, etc. are increasingly common on the web. Adding some of these features selectively may improve the experience of your visitors.

Website Aesthetics

Last but not least, aesthetics do matter. When a potential customer lands on your website for the first time, you want to make a positive impression immediately. Not only will this impression stay with the customer, it also boosts your website’s credibility. Studies show that more attractive websites inspire more trust. An attractive website tells the customer that you cared enough about your business to create a great website, and that you are up to speed on current trends.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, how do you know if your website needs a few minor tune-ups, or if it’s due for a total overhaul? Let us help! Contact 3-Keys today for a free consultation, and we can help you determine how much of your website is due for an update.