When you spend so much time and (often!) money on a website, it can come as a surprise to realise that – eventually – that website is going to need a hefty update.
Surely it will last the test of time? You must only need to go through the process once?
The reality is that there are so many small business owners out there bossing the same website that they had ten years ago, with next to no changes in that time and a whole load of missed opportunities.
Now – don’t get us wrong. An expertly built and designed website should grow with you. So, perhaps you DO have the same website at its core that you had when you first launched your business. The question is, have you changed, added or removed anything from your ‘site in that time?
Your website is the hub of your business activity. It’s more than a ‘needs must’. It can totally transform your business, boost your sales and welcome your ideal clients and customers with open arms.
With a custom website, you can ensure your entire digital presence is fully aligned with your brand, that it stands out from your competitors, has every need catered for and supports ALL of your business goals.
(Psst – dig deeper on the 6 reasons why you should get a custom WordPress website.)
But, in order for all of these *things* to happen, you need to make sure that your website is working as well as it possibly can be. So, if you’re asking ‘is my website ready for an update?’ you are in the right place! Read on for our top 5 reasons why now could be the time to give your online identity a top to toe spruce up.
Even if you haven’t gone through a full rebrand, our businesses naturally shift over time. Our tone of voice changes. The images that we use get updated. Our mission may expand (or even niche down). Our customer base evolves. The list is endless. But, is this reflected in your website?
There should never be a disconnect between your business, your brand and your website. One needs to seamlessly slip into the next. This cohesion builds the know, like and trust factors with your clientele, and strengthens both your brand equity and awareness.
And this can be a v.quick job (thankfully!). A few ways in which you can match your website with your brand include:
This is the bare minimum, but for more tips and tricks check out our blog 8 quick website tweaks to boost your brand.
The importance of website traffic is rooted in your end goal. Whether you’re an eCommerce site and your goal is sales, an interior designer who is looking for leads, or a charity looking for people to sign up to your next fundraiser; the more people you can reach, the more likely you are to achieve your goal.
And that’s why this one should come in the form of a HUGE flashing sign, with bright red arrows pointing at it over and over and over again. If your site visits have dropped, your bounce rate has grown and your enquiries have disappeared, then it’s time to face the reality that your website simply isn’t working.
Because this is the purpose of your website, right? You want it to:
If it isn’t doing any of those things, then what is it doing?
There are many reasons why this could be happening. For example:
The good news is that these things can be fixed. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to maximise website visits and visibility, so why not bookmark it ready to refer back to?
This one is FAR too frequently pushed to the side as unimportant. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Research by the Aberdeen Group found that a 1 second delay in a page load time could result in:
One second! That means your faster competitors are just one quick click away.
And think about it – we live in a fast paced society. The age of TikTok means that short-form media is having a major impact on our cognitive functions (it’s even been dubbed TikTok Brain) and our attention spans are notoriously dropping faster than an outdated Android battery.
If your potential customers reach your website and then find themselves staring at half a page or (shudder) even worse, a blank page while it sloooooooowly loads, chances are they’re going to bin your site off and find an alternative.
Do 👏 not 👏 let 👏 them 👏 do 👏 that 👏
Site speed is also an important SEO ranking factor for your website. This is because:
If you want your users to not only stay on your website, but come back to it time and time again, it’s time to up the ante and make their experience as flawless as you can. We’ve pulled together 10 ways that you can fix this over on this article.
#LBBTip – You can check your current site speed on Google Page Speed Insights
If your website keeps falling prey to security breaches, hackers and spam, then there’s a big old issue that needs fixing.
As website owners, it’s vital that we ensure the safety of both our users and our business. An unsafe website can quickly jeopardise visitor safety by funnelling out malware, spam, stealing information and much, much more.
The ripple effect on your business can be detrimental. And since website security is something that users are becoming increasingly savvy to, it’s crucial to regularly analyse your own site safety and make sure that everything is up to the highest standards. This should include:
With a staggering 30,000 websites hacked around the world and 300,000 new malware instances every single day, the threat is real. Don’t allow your website to be taken advantage of!
We recently worked with an incredible charity called Youth Options who felt the impact of poor website security. Their website would be brought down frequently due to hacking, disrupting their service and sticking a huge spanner in the works with regards to their SEO. The site had been built on Drupal; a notoriously tricky CMS to master. Certain elements of the system had become vulnerable to safety breaches, and hacks were coming in thick and fast. The more hacks, the worse their position became: unsurprising, with research by Crowdstrike finding that 68% of companies encountered another ‘sophisticated intrusion attempt’ within 12 months of their first cyber attack. Luckily, we were able to solve all of their security problems with a brand new, fully updated website. Find out more about how we supported them here.
RELATED: HOW TO PROVE YOUR WEBSITE IS SAFE IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS
If your website has limited functionality and minimal capacity for growth, then you need to run, not walk, to a website expert who can put you back on the right path.
‘Cos whatever you’ve been told in the past, it’s important to know that updating your website should be easy: you shouldn’t have to rely on anyone else to do it for you.
So, if you’re struggling with:
… Then chances are you need to start afresh.
Here at Littlebigbox, this is SO important to us. Business owners should feel confident enough to update their website, to add new content and to make necessary changes. You should feel in control, rather than having to continuously rely on someone else to keep your website where you want it to be.
In addition, your website should be geared up in a way that if you DO need something super tech-y added to it, it’s possible for your website developer to make this happen. Outdated, clunky sites will be far more limited when it comes to things like adding memberships, customer and/or employee portals and eCommerce.
Basically? You want a website that allows the sky to be the limit!
Oh, we are SO glad that you asked.
Yes, yes and yes again. It’s what we’re all about – making your website as incredible and brand-centric as possible, and then giving you the power to keep it that perfect representation of your epic business.
We do this in lots of different ways.
If you need…
Then we’ve got a service for you! Get in touch with a member of our super friendly team for a cuppa and a natter. We can’t wait to meet you!
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