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Part 5: When Should You Update or Develop Your Website?

Website development seems a daunting task, causing many to justify inaction or procrastination. Thoughts such as these are all too common:

  • “I have a web presence on the internet with the site I created four years ago; that’s sufficient.”
  • “I know someday my business will need a website, but we’re doing fine for now without one.”
  • “My site was developed by a professional, so it must be good even though it’s so complicated I can’t make any updates on my own.”

If you find yourself subconsciously convincing yourself of any of these positions, it’s a good indication that it may be time to either update your current website or establish a web presence with a first-ever site.

But these aren’t the only tell-tale signs suggesting that it’s time to update your website. There are a host of other indicators which can be organized under three categories – User Experience, Content, and Web Design.

7 User Experience Indicators of An Out-of-Date Website

There was a time when websites were created based on the needs of the business. This is no longer the case. Today’s sites must be focused first and foremost on the needs of the visitor, on user experience. Consider your current website and ask yourself if it struggles from any of these Traffic-killing Conditions:

  1. Not Mobile Friendly/Device Responsive
  2. Slow Load Times
  3. Broken Pages or Links
  4. Hard to Navigate
  5. Poor Usage of URL Conventions
  6. Website Uses Adobe Flash
  7. High Bounce Rate visitors are quickly leaving your site, never searching beyond the page they landed on.

The importance of Load Times and Device Responsiveness were discussed in detail in Part 3 of this blog series, What is a Website?

5 Content Indicators of An Out-of-Date Website

Visitors are coming to your site for a reason. They are looking for information to solve their problems or serve their needs. Yes, they want the experience to be straightforward and simple, but they also want the information they find to be both accurate and valuable.

With this in mind, it is vital that you take an honest look at your business website and ask if it suffers from any of the following Content Shortfalls:

  1. Incorrect or Outdated Info
  2. Unused Pages or Features
  3. No Social Links –  social follow buttons and social sharing buttons.
  4. Cobweb Effect website content hasn’t been updated in forever. (On the internet, forever is about six months.)
  5. Lackluster Content the content fails to grab the attention of the visitor.

Content requirements for an active site were also discussed in detail in Part 3,  What is a Website?

5 Web Design Indicators of An Out-of-Date Website

Let’s assume that you’ve considered the preceding and given your website passing marks thus far. The final area you should assess is the overall design and appearance of your site. Just as home décor and personal fashion change, so does web design. Does your website give the impression of leadership over your competitors, or does it leave the visitor with a whiff of “has-been.” If any of the following could be said of your site, it is not serving your business as it should:  

  1. Visually Cluttered and Complicated
  2. Poor Images over-dependence on cheesy, 1990’s styled stock images
  3. Low-quality Graphics
  4. Inconsistent with Current Branding/Business Focus
  5. It Just Looks Old

A website is designed for a user. Part 2 in this series, Who Is Your Website Targeting? Offers tips on how to hone in on your ideal visitor so that you can craft a site that best suits their needs.

My Website Needs Updating, Now What?

Perhaps you’re beginning to see that your website is no longer serving the needs of your business as successfully as it should.

Now What?

Knowing what’s lacking is different than knowing how to fix it. Our team at Mulligan Management Group would love to sit down with you and start a discussion of how we can help bring your website back to optimal performance.

Because we understand the importance of maintaining a current website, we consider web development the start of an on-going relationship. In addition to auditing your existing site, we offer regular web audits of any site that we design and build. To maintain peak performance, we recommend web audits be done every six months, but minimally once a year.

Ok, My Business Does Need a Website

USA Today noted that 29% of small businesses still do not have a website. This USA Today article goes on to explain that without a website, these businesses are forfeiting the following:

  • Credibility
  • Brand Development
  • Marketing
  • Competition
  • Control

Don’t let your business continue operating at half speed. A website is vital to success in today’s marketplace. And it’s easier than you think, especially if you partner with a knowledgeable team like Mulligan Management Group.

Topics Covered in Previous Blog Posts in Our Six-Part Series on Websites

In part one of this series, we demonstrated the importance of doing a deep-dive consideration of exactly WHY your business needs a website, before merely throwing a site together.

Part two focused on the who of website construction, gearing your website for the needs of your audience.

Part three continued with “the what.” What must your website include, or not based on current technologies and preferences to be considered a vibrant, active website?

Part four looked at where your website should reside in a discussion of the various options available for web hosting.

Part six concludes the  series on websites answering the question, “How Can You Get Your Website Started?”

Are you Ready for Your Mulligan? 

If you find it makes sense for your business to partner with a content marketing professional, our team at Mulligan Management Group will welcome the chance to sit down with you and discuss your needs. Visit our website www.mulliganmanagementgroup.com, email us at info@mulliganmanagement.com, or call De-de at 330-472-7673.

Mulligan Management Group  www.mulliganmanagementgroup.com  is a digital marketing agency located in Hudson, Ohio. Our team of professionals helps our clients build their internet presence and expand their authority online.

Our services range from website design and development to professional content creation, to social media strategies and implementation. We also offer to consult in all functional areas.

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