If it’s been a while since you’ve updated your website, it might be time for a redesign. Once the winter is over, traffic tends to pick up on most website, making the spring time the perfect time to act! Updating your website regularly is a great way to stay relevant and keep your brand on the cutting edge. However, if your site has certain issues, a simple update might not be enough. Instead, you might consider a full redesign to ensure that your website is equipped with the latest technology. We’ve compiled a list of six key reasons why you should consider a redesign for your website.

1. Your Site Isn’t Mobile Optimized

Mobile web surfing and mobile search are on the rise, and they are going to keep increasing. More than half of web searches now occur on mobile devices. For this reason, it’s more important than ever to make sure your site is properly optimized for mobile devices. The layout should be easy to read on a mobile device and load quickly. Your SEO tactics should not only target traditional keywords, but long tail key phrases used in voice search, a popular mode of web search on mobile devices. If your site isn’t optimized for all aspects of mobile devices, you should strongly consider a redesign.

2. You’re Not Getting Leads

Your website is a valuable resource for your customers to learn about and connect with your business. However, on your end, the primary goal of your website is to generate leads. If your site is not generating leads, or the quality of leads you’re interested in, something isn’t right. Your site might not be easily found on Google by the right people, meaning you need to upgrade your SEO. You might have bad forms, the wrong calls to action, or other issues. If your site is not doing its job as a lead-generating tool, then you should strongly consider a website redesign.

3. Your Site Looks Old

Successful websites today have sleek, modern designs. Websites that look old and do not have the latest technology seem untrustworthy to visitors and can make your business seem behind the times. Your website should have a sleek, simple design complete with lots of images. It should have a clear color scheme of 2-3 colors that represent your brand well. A redesign is especially important if your competitors’ sites look more modern than yours, as your brand will appear to lag behind its competitors. If your website looks old, a redesign is the best way to improve its look and promote your brand as leader in your industry.

4. Your Business Isn’t Well Represented

If you built your website a while ago, it might be a representation of your business ten years ago. There might be services that your business offers missing from your site. You may also have had a shift in goals or the mission of your business since you last updated your site. If you frequently find that your customers were unaware that you offered certain services, your website is probably not doing a good job of describing your business. If your business is not well represented through your website, a redesign can help you properly communicate with your potential customers.

5. Your Site is Hard to Navigate

To be successful and to create the best experience for your visitors, your website should be very easy to navigate. Each page should load quickly, and it should be easy to navigate from one page to another. You should have clear, well organized drop down menus that separate your content and make it easy to find what your visitors are looking for. If your website does not have these features, has one long page, or is disorganized, it will be difficult for visitors to get information from your site. If your website is confusing, people are likely to move on to a better organized website. If your website is difficult to navigate and is not organized well, a website redesign can help improve your users’ experiences.

6. Your Site is Not Secure

If your site is not encrypted, it is vulnerable to hacking, viruses, and information theft, which can be damaging to your business and your customers. If you’re not use if your site is encrypted, check your url. If your site says “http” at the beginning, it is not encrypted. If it starts with “https,” it’s encrypted. In addition to the extra level of protection that encryption provides, your site will be labeled “secure” on Google Chrome, one of the most popular web browsers. As of July of this year, any sites that are not encrypted will be marked “Not Secure” by Chrome. Therefore, if your site is not encrypted, not only is it vulnerable, but it will appear less trustworthy to visitors. If your website is not secure, you should consider a rebuild to improve its functionality and security.

Image Works LLC | CT Web Design

Websites may not have expiration dates, but there are signs that they’ve gone bad. If your website loads slowly, is difficult to navigate, reflects poorly on your brand, or isn’t mobile friendly, then it’s time for a website redesign. Your website is an important asset to your business and a website redesign can help your business attract more leads and convert those leads into customers.