There’s nothing worse than realizing your website is a little out of date and needs some care. It’s like hearing a rattling sound in your car when you’re driving on the highway. You know something needs to be done, but you worry about the cost.
Stop worrying! Let’s chat about six signs that your website might be outdated and in need of a tune up. Whether simply freshening up some old content or embarking on a complete makeover, we’ll get through it together! Here are some points we should consider:
- Is your content outdated? Review your website content to ensure it is in keeping with the current products and services offered by your brand. Have you posted recently or has it been a few months? Fresh content is crucial to a thriving business website. Consumers want the skinny on EVERYTHING! They like to be in the know. Clicking through old, outdated content is the fastest way to send customers on their way straight to your competition. Make it a point to post on a regular basis and keep a calendar of when you will post and the content you have posted. Even older content can be refreshed if it is still relevant. If you’re selling marshmallows, you need to take down your post about alligator infestation in Jacksonville. It just isn’t relevant to your product no matter how much you try to revive it!
- Are you noticing a decrease in leads and sales? Maybe you’re not receiving as many calls or emails from potential customers as you have in the past. Perhaps your leads have all dried up. You might still be getting SOME sales, but your numbers are way down compared to previous months/years. All of this is indicative of a stale website.
- Are you noticing a decline in the amount of traffic to your business website? Fewer visitors means less opportunities for you to show a potential customer that you’re a good fit for them. It also means that you are getting less FREE word-of-mouth advertising. One thing every good business owner understands is that consumer word-of-mouth advertising is POWERFUL and much more potent than any form of paid advertising. You need more and more visitors to frequent your website, creating a buzz that everyone will want to talk about. Plus, don’t forget the whole “in-the-know” factor! If a customer feels they’ve learned new information FIRST, they will be only too eager to blab it to anyone and everyone and that’s good news for you. It’s your job to make sure they have something good to blab about.
- Is your website running slow? – There is nothing more frustrating for consumers than slow loading websites. Remember, we are living in a “gotta have it right now” era and if your website isn’t loading in two seconds or less, you’re guaranteed to lose traffic. Five seconds is too long for a potential customer to stare at a blank screen. Plus, it makes you look like you’re not in all that big of a hurry to serve them. Patience is not typically one of the qualities you’ll find in today’s consumers. I’ll say it again: your website should be loading in 2 seconds or less.
- Noticing a spike in negative reviews and feedback? If you’re receiving more bad reviews from your customers, you really need to tune in and pay attention to what they’re saying. Are they having issues with your website or did they feel misled by something on the website that wasn’t a reality after they made a purchase from you? Have you received any feedback about your website not performing as a visitor hoped? Furthermore, are you even responding to the negative feedback?
Here’s the deal: good business owners respond to ALL feedback, positive AND negative. Ignoring any type of feedback whatsoever communicates that you really don’t care what your customers think. You’re not in business for them. You’re in it totally for yourself. This is not the way to win friends and influence people. Address negative feedback with POSITIVE responses which are courteous, caring and offer a solution to the consumer’s complaint. Show them that you are willing to work to gain their trust and you might be surprised at how impressed they become with your understanding responses.
- Does your website offer customers a poor user experience? User experience is EVERYTHING when it comes to a great business website. When was the last time you sat down and tested your website across all platforms through the eyes of a customer? Make sure to test your website on a regular basis to ensure it is easy to find the information needed in order to make a purchase decision. Also, make sure you test it across all platforms. Especially mobile devices such as a smartphone or IPad because three out of every four dollars spent on online purchases today is done so through a mobile device. If you find any issues, these are things you need to look at resolving yesterday.
Feeling overwhelmed? The best thing to do is to start with one aspect which needs to be addressed. Make a list of issues in order of importance and knock them out one by one. Better yet, give us a call!
