Signs you need a new website

You've got a website. Now you sit back and wait for the leads to roll in... wait... why is no one inquiring or buying?! It could be you've not crafted an offer that is clear and easy for potential clients to say "yes" to. Or there's something off about your website structure that is making it cumbersome for them to do so. While this might not mean you need a complete overhaul, it's time to have a hard look at how you're capturing leads on your website and the effectiveness of it.

When you start a business, it's totally normal to bootstrap and stay nimble in the beginning while you build. This often leads to pulling long nights making your own website or hiring your niece fresh out of high school because she's creative and could use a couple bucks. But now that you've gotten over the hurdle of your first year in business (when most businesses fail) and you've got potential in your market, several happy clients, and you're not in a financial hole, it's time to level up your website so it can serve your business better and help you scale.

There are so many reasons people become embarrassed by their website. Maybe it's not reflective of your brand anymore, or you just always loathed it. I myself have been embarrassed by my own website before. Yes, me, a web designer. Not because it looked bad, but the information wasn't relevant anymore and I hadn't made time to update it. Instead of making excuses when someone asks you to "send a link" to your site, get a website you're not ashamed of and share it (and your business) proudly with the world.

There's nothing really wrong with using a template, but if it's not executed well it can leave your website looking bland and blah. And it can potentially make your business totally forgettable. Think of cars on the road. The hundreds of Honda Civics go unnoticed. But that one Lamborghini will catch your eye and stick with you. Not that you need to shell out Lambo cash for a nice website. But don't be like everyone else stuck in a Honda (no offence to Honda owners, my family had one for many years).

User experience is measured in things like site speed, easy of navigation, and the quality of content. Bad user experience means people are turned-off by your website because it didn't met their expectations. Once they're gone, they may not come back again. Just like a restaurant needs to think of all the elements of their dining experience from the host to the food temperature to the cleanliness of the bathroom, you need to think of what experience your website is giving those who are visiting it. If it's a bad experience, you'll want to focus on improving that.

When you're managing a website yourself, it can be easy to get off track and start adding elements to your website that you don't need. I've definitely met websites that are bloated with dozens of pages that are unorganized, half-baked, or totally irrelevant. Not to mention the countless sites with multiple plugins and page builders that do the same thing or aren't being used. Often, this is a result of trying to DIY on the fly without a strategy or proper consultation. This might not seem like a big deal because a messy backend is invisible to most human visitors, but the extra bloat and disorganization is usually visible to search engines which can have a negative impact on your traffic and site security. Besides, it becomes difficult to manage or scale if things get too disorganized. If your website has become bloated and off-track, you need some guidance and a clean up. 

Let's not dismiss the energizing joy a fresh new website for yourself, your team, and your clients can bring to your business when things have gotten stale. There's also a marketing opportunity to connect with people when rolling out a new website because you have a reason to invite people to come see and you're more excited to present your business online. We recently had a client who finally updated their website after nine years, and used the launch as an opportunity to reconnect with the list of clients they'd accumulated since then. They got a fresh new site for the next decade, and a reason to say "hi" to past clients. Double win!

A website for you may have always been an after thought. But 70-80% of people research a small business online before visiting it or purchasing something from it. Most of your potential clients are checking out your website before ever speaking to you about your services. If you've been under the impression that your website doesn't matter, data says otherwise. Imagine the positive impact it will have on your business and revenue if you recognized your website as the powerful marketing and sales tool that it is.