Five Signs That I Need A New Website

Let’s not beat around the bush – websites are an essential tool for every business. It’s a fact. After all, it’s no secret that modern-day shoppers share a desire to access information at the touch of a button, from the comfort of their home. So, give them what they want and better still, make sure you’re doing it well. Simply put, it’s time to ask yourself, is your website doing its job? If the answer is no, then why not? Ultimately, if it’s not helping your business to flourish and grow, then what is the point in investing so much time, effort and money into it? If you’re still unsure, then here are five signs that you need a new website.

Embarrassment

Do you like your website? Are you proud to give out your website URL? If the answer is no, then you need to be making some serious changes today. Your website is the online hub of your business and you certainly should be proud to pass on your URL to current and potential customers.

Get yourself a new website and wave goodbye to the days of shamefully scribbling out your website details on your business cards. Instead, say hello to splashing that URL all over your social channels and welcome visitors to your online platform with open arms.

User Experience

OK, user experience is everything, with 88 per cent of shoppers admitting they wouldn’t return to a website if they were having a bad experience.

Over time and thanks to developments in technology, visiting a website has evolved into an interactive experience. If you’re not familiar with what user experience is, then it refers to the way a person feels when they are interacting with your website. If you want them to return to your website and better still, purchase from your business, then you need to make sure you provide a good experience.

Consider this: are your customers interacting with your website? Are they staying on your site long enough for your brand to have an impact on them? Are they taking the action you want them to, for example purchasing a product or booking in a service?

Look, website communication shouldn’t be a one-way thing – If your customers aren’t engaging with you, then that’s a big red flag. If they aren’t interacting with your online brand or staying on your website, then the finger might be pointing to the fact they’re having a bad user experience. Factors that influence a bad user experience include the likes of slow website speed, a messy layout, lack of identity, and an over-complex design.

Don’t worry, a bad user experience is fixable. Once you’ve identified the fact that it’s the user experience that is the problem, you’re halfway there. A professional team of professional creatives like those at Oxygen Graphics have the necessary knowledge to ensure you give your website visitors only the best user experience.

Poor Google Rankings

One way to measure whether you need to get a new website or not is by keeping an eye on its Google ranking – in other words, making sure your business comes up on Google when people are searching locally, for your industry. This means a successful website goes hand in hand with a strong search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy.

There are several factors that can influence SEO, including optimised content and keywords, real business information, website security and use of internal links, for example.

This year, Google has added two more factors into the mix to further scrutiny websites: core web vitals and link spam. We get it, it’s confusing, right? Let us explain.

User experience already impacts SEO, however, this year, Google added ‘core web vitals’ as part of the whole user experience package to influence ranking. Simply put, loading (speed), interactivity (engagement), and visual stability (do the elements of your page move around or stay in one place while loading?) all impact user experience and furthermore, now have an impact on where a business ranks on Google.

When it comes to the link spam update, Google recently announced that they had found more and more websites were using unnatural link-building techniques to manipulate SEO performance. Whilst links pointing from other websites to yours is great for SEO performance, links should be from relevant and trusted websites that receive genuine, quality traffic. In short, businesses should ensure their link profile is of high quality and, if in doubt, speak to an experienced SEO provider like Oxygen Graphics.

So, if your business isn’t ranking on Google, it means that you’re likely to be losing potential customers to the competition. So, make sure your website is fully optimised and ready to rank on Google.

Changes To Your Business

Although we’re finally coming out the other end of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s no forgetting how much of an impact it had on the world – and businesses are no exception. With more customers now shopping virtually, Covid-19 has undoubtedly played a huge role in the demand for businesses to be online, meaning organisations across the globe have had to adapt to suit current consumer trends. Ultimately, we’ve seen the world turn a corner when it came to the world of e-commerce and digital marketing and you might be questioning whether your business is yet to turn that corner.

It might be that you’ve made the decision to bin your physical shop and take your business solely online. Or perhaps you’ve still got a store on the high street, but you’ve recognised the need to grow your brand online too. Whatever the reason, your website needs to reflect the current values and goals of your business, even if they’re different to what they were when you first launched. And ultimately, if your business strategy is changing, your website should be too. After all, if a business wants to develop and ultimately, succeed, they need to be continually evolving and keeping up with the latest consumer trends.

Outdated

You might be surprised to hear that the average life span of a website is three to five years.

And, while it’s vital that a website works efficiently, it’s got to look the part too. An outdated website could not only have a huge impact on your Google ranking but furthermore, it could severely influence your reputation and brand image.

Remember, your website is your online storefront. It’s your identity. It’s where your digital customers will be heading for information on your business, to buy your products and to access your services. In fact, your website could be the very first thing any prospective customers interact with. You simply cannot afford to have an outdated website.

So, whether you’re getting that three-year itch, or you last updated your site in the noughties, it could well be time to give your website a refresh.

There are plenty of reasons behind a business wanting a new website – heck, it could be that your current website simply doesn’t feel right and that’s OK. There’s never been a more important time for your website to work for you and your brand. Even if you’re struggling to put your finger on it yourself, then get in touch with Oxygen Graphics and our team of experts can help you refresh your current website or kickstart a whole new project. Book a meeting with us today.