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7 reasons why your website needs a redesign

7 Reasons Why Your Website Needs A Redesign

Ok, it’s a big call but your website really is the most important element of your digital strategy. Yep, maybe even more important than your Instagram and Linkedin profiles. We could also argue that a website is one of the most important components to your business, full stop. It not only showcases important information about your products, your team and business story but is also where your potential clients get a real understanding of how you present your business to the world and, ultimately, make a decision to contact you (or not as the case may be).

While many companies have a web presence, many are incredibly outdated when it comes to communicating effectively with their prospects. Just as cars date, fashions change and house styles evolve, so do websites and our understanding of how best to communicate online. In fact it would be fair to say that websites and technology change at 10 times the pace of everything else around them. If your website is dated and you are using dated communication strategies then it’s highly likely that you are losing customers. Why? Because we trust web sites that are clearly being looked after and loved, more so than websites that look like they haven’t been touched or updated for weeks/months/years. As my Grandma used to say, ‘if you see dust you can’t trust.’ *

In this article, we shed light on the 7 clear signs you should look out for to determine if it is time to give your website a professional overhaul and a fresh coat of pixels.

1. It Is Not User-Friendly

88% of online customers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience and its simple to understand why.

It’s 2018 and your prospects are likely to have seen thousands of websites. They are used to fast load speed, intuitive navigations and sleek design that clearly communicates your business offering.

Most businesses have a large and diverse product/service range and want to communicate with ‘everyone’. It’s very easy to try and showcase ‘everything’ you do, which can be overwhelming for visitors and water down your core offering. If your website makes it tough for your user to discover content and a headache to understand your offerings, you have not only left a poor first impression, your prospect will likely bounce off your site never to return!

As Kanye said, ‘Don’t complicate to resonate’. **

2. It looks dated

Bad Example of Website Design

If your website is over 4 years old, you are likely lagging behind in design trends. Yes, 4 years is a long, long time in the web world and, when your website just keeps working, it’s easy to put a redesign on the back burner.

It’s worth considering our thoughts and the actions we take when we buy something from a physical store.

Store A has the lights on and the door open. The floor is clean, the shelves neatly stacked. The attendant is helpful and they stock a good range of associated products.

Store B has a single light on and the door is shut. We’re unsure of whether it’s open or closed. When we decide to go inside the shelves are nearly empty and we can’t find the store assistant.

The price and product warranty is the same from each store – but which one do we feel more comfortable buying from?

If you said Store B then I clearly don’t know what I’m talking about.

The wonderful world of the web has progressed and the fight to capture your prospect’s attention is only getting more intense! From hand-made illustrations and page motion animations to dynamic gradients and responsive logos, business websites need to be fresh, memorable and, if possible, aspirational. Despite what they tell you most purchasers/clients make emotional decisions as opposed to logical decisions so it’s important to be visually appealing.

An updated and modern design isn’t just for show, it is one of the key factors in your customer’s purchasing decision.

3. Your Website Is Not Responsive

Google guide to mobile friendly websites

It’s official, more users are browsing the internet with their mobile phones and tablets compared to desktop users.

Nothing might be more annoying than exploring a site where you will need to use your fingers to enlarge each page to read the text or having your thumb constantly clicking on the wrong link!

Having a mobile and tablet-friendly website is important in capturing and converting a huge chunk of traffic that visits your site on the go.

4. It Does Not Accurately Reflect Your Brand

Maybe you have been running your company for a few years and your business model and clientele have been refined.

Your brand values have changed but does it seem apparent on your current website?

Or perhaps your existing website has never really communicated your brand values and you’ve just ‘put up with it’.

Whether your audience has changed or your site never been ‘quite right’, it’s important for established businesses to have a presence online that aligns with the brand and, if applicable, aligns with their real world presence.

Your website has the potential to elevate your brand to a whole new level but you’ll only promote it and guide people towards it if:

a. It aligns with your brand
b. Clearly showcases the work you do
c. You’re proud of it

In 2018 web users are savvy. We’ve all been using the internet for 20 years (more or less) and we know when a business isn’t being authentic. Ensuring your website aligns with your brand and who you are is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate authenticity.

5. Not Aligned With Your Current Marketing Strategy

Your strategy five years ago might have been to get as many enquiries as possible through an onsite contact form. Today you are trying to build authority through blogging and email subscriptions. We can relate.

But is your website geared up for your change in approach?

Whether it is a dated content-management system (CMS) or poorly designed call-to-action areas, a lack of key website features will hinder your marketing efforts. You could ‘bolt on’ a plugin here and there but in all likelihood it will look and feel like a bolt on, and will likely not be the most effective approach.

If your strategy today is drastically different from when you started your business, it is only natural that your website evolves to align with your goals.

6. It Has Poor Conversions

The aim of your business website should be to help generate leads, enquiries or direct sales – depending on the nature of your business.

If your marketing activities are constant but you are seeing a decrease in your online sales or leads, it could be a sign that your website is not connecting with your audience.

Of course, if this is the case we recommend refreshing your website. However, a redesign shouldn’t happen until you understand why your existing site is no longer winning leads. This could come back to your calls to action or it could be that the site is not structured to maximise sales and conversions. Whatever the reason it pays to analyse the reasons.

Google Analytics offers some incredible insights, as does studying your competitive space to understand what your competitors are doing differently. Perhaps even altering calls to action and measuring the response (A/B testing) will help?

Ultimately a poor conversion rate is one of the clearest signs your site needs a refresh but, as with any web design project, it’s important to make some informed decisions before leaping in.

7. It Is Not listed on Google

SEO Search - 7 Reasons Why Your Website Needs A Redesign

For any business to succeed online and win leads it’s vital that future and existing clients can find them online. Imagine looking for a business that you know exists but being unable to find it. Amateurish right? Try the Yellow Pages 😉

The internet is constantly expanding and competition is ramping up at a rapid rate.

If web users can’t discover your website how are new clients finding you? Word of mouth is great but the first thing people will do when they hear about your business is Google you.

Today’s web design platforms allow design agencies to integrate Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) into a new website, ensuring new sites get the best possible kick start on search engines. Discover why SEO is important to your business survival.

If your old site hasn’t been setup for SEO or uses outdated tech and strategies such as flash graphics,  hidden text or just poor site architecture, Google will find it difficult to index and, consequently, it won’t understand where your site should be listed.  These are problems that plague older websites and will prevent you from reaching your potential.

Of course, these are all factors that can affect poorly built new websites (lets talk, we can help) but are more prevalent on older platforms that haven’t received the love and care they need to stay relevant.

Conclusion

Having a modern, fresh, intutive website is key to online business success.

While there isn’t a need to redesign your website every year, taking an objective look is crucial to understanding whether your current design is helping you hit your business goals.

At Start Digital, we not only help clients build their web presence from scratch, we actively assist businesses with their existing web presence to update and refresh their current websites with modern and proven strategies that not only enhance their brand but also delivers real business results!

Drops us an email or call and let us begin your digital refresh today!

*Disclaimer, I made this up. Grandma’s house was the dustiest in Australia.

** Disclaimer. I made this up as well.

startdig

We are a collective of designers, coders, producers and technologists from around the world who collaborate on a shared passion for innovative websites. Based in Perth, Western Australia, we bring style and innovation to the projects we undertake. Taking time to understand our clients requirements we strive to produce quality web design work for an affordable price. We then leverage our years of experience to make sure that our websites are responsive, SEO friendly and meet the clients requirements.

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Jack McLoughlin
Jack McLoughlin
17:04 29 Jun 20
Thoroughly professional and well communicated. Thanks Neil
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04:37 15 May 20
I am from Brisbane, my name is Craig, I have a dog training company, it was my first time attempting on page SEO, after calling nearly all SEO companies in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, this was the only place that gave me some time to help me out. 5 star from me, well done in being a human and not worrying about what you could have got from me. hats off to you !. from dogtrainingbegins.com.au
Sheri Macmahon
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09:04 17 Jan 20
Knowledgable, inspiring and helpful. Getting my online presence created and managed by the Start Digital is the BEST decision I ever made.
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12:39 12 Jun 19
Neil & The Team at Start Digital are fantastic to work with. Our new website is exceptional. The guys here have fresh, modern ideas and the process from start to finish was flawless. Highly recommended.
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03:57 11 Jun 19
Neil and the team at Start Digital provide such an excellent service and have been a massive help for us since we launched late 2018. Their attention to detail is unmatched compared to other digital agencies we've dealt with, and the team go out of their way to ensure the best result is achieved in the most time & cost efficient way. Thanks again Start Digital
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00:18 11 Jun 19
A huge thank you to Neil and the Start Digital team! We engaged them to redesign our Move Homes website to take our brand to the next level. Not only does the website look fantastic, but throughout the website build we received frequent and transparent communication- we knew exactly what was happening and why. Start Digital listened to what we needed and would offer their advice on how to achieve our goals. Aside from their expertise, they’re also great people and really easy to deal with. We look forward to working on more projects over the coming years!
Sheila Woods
Sheila Woods
04:36 12 Mar 18
Neil Mason and the Start Digital team have done a tremendous job with the design and implementation of Interstaff’s new website. Our brief to Neil was for a clean, modern website which visually communicated our brand values, ‘sharp, dependable, expert and human’ to both business and individual clients, and importantly to offer an engaging and easy-to-navigate online experience optimised for SEO. We are delighted with the design as well as the level of consideration and attention to detail Neil and his team put into shaping the online experience of our brand. Start Digital have been very flexible and easy to collaborate with and nothing was ever too difficult. They went above and beyond – even working over the weekend to help us have our website ready to launch ahead of one of our key business seminars. We look forward to continuing to work with Neil and his team in the future and would definitely recommend their services.
iQuest Consulting
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The Start Digital team built us a new website and have been managing our SEO for over a year now. During that time our site has moved into the top five on page 1 of Google for keywords such as IT Company Perth and IT Support Perth which has increased our traffic considerably. We're very proud of our website and highly recommend Start Digital.
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01:02 16 Feb 18
Neil and his team at Start Digital go above and beyond expectations. Having worked with many web agencies I can honestly say that Start have been one of the most open and cost effective agency I have worked with . They come highly recommeded
Anthony Godin
Anthony Godin
05:11 04 Jan 18
Excellent Perth website design, development and SEO agency
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06:58 06 Dec 17
After years of tolerating our old website, we are now proud owners of a sleek, responsive and easy to use new site, thanks to Start Digital. Professional, practical, affordable and easy to work with-Neil and his stellar team delivered our site along with 22 additional sites for some of our congregations. Our organisation is complex and this project was massive. Throughout the project, Start Digital were flexible and patient with us. They responded quickly to emails and phone calls, kept us in the loop and always made time to touch base in their cool office. We can’t thank the team enough for their tremendous effort. It’s only been a month, but we have received plenty of positive feedback since launching the new site. We look forward to working with Start Digital for future digital projects and highly recommend anyone who needs a new website to give them a call.
Amantha Imber
Amantha Imber
08:25 02 Dec 17
Neil and the team created an AMAZING website for Inventium. We have received so much positive feedback since launch. I highly recommend Start Digital - they are awesome!
Lee Bramley
Lee Bramley
03:54 16 Nov 17
Fantastic Service, Really Knowledgeable in all areas of Website and Marketing strategies, they built us a fantastic looking site and nothing was too much for them throughout the process, We also found them to be very reasonably priced compared to other quotes we had, highly recommended.
Dean Capelli
Dean Capelli
06:22 11 Jul 17
Start Digital have built 3 websites for The Highways Group. We've been impressed with their attention to detail and quality of design every time. They're a friendly, professional agency and our go to web team.
John Argiropoulos
John Argiropoulos
07:45 19 May 17
We highly recommend Start Digital service, their efficient , personnel approach and professional skills gave us great results thanks .
Mitch Capelli
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22:13 25 Nov 16
Knowledgeable and excellent service at a great price I highly recommend Start Digital. We engaged them to redesign our website and manage our online presence. Previously we were a few pages back on a google search, however after only a few months we are in and around the top 5 on the first page. The guys at Start were great to deal with providing straight forward easy to understand information without the typical sales pitch that we have experienced many times before from other providers in the industry. We continue to receive updates on the progress of our website and their SEO service all for a very reasonable rate (ie. much cheaper than we were previously paying for a lesser service)
Eva Wood
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01:24 23 Nov 16
Neil and his team was responsible for the design and re-branding of our website, business cards and marketing material. They quickly understood our business, they identified the market we needed to target and delivered an excellent solution to match. We would highly recommend Start Digital.
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Neil and the guys at Start Digital took care of some problems we had with our website performance. They were really efficient, responsive, easy to get along with and gave us some great pointers to help us with SEO. Unlike many digital marketing companies out there, Start Digital were very genuine and well-priced. Would definitely recommend their services to others.
Paul Avery
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05:23 13 Oct 16
Great design ideas and technical capability means a complete solution for small and medium sized businesses like us. Neil & Co actually take an interest in what you are trying to achieve rather than just turn and burn volume website factories out there! I recommend them.
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02:11 04 Oct 16
We have had the pleasure of working with the team at Start Digital recently as we wished to update our website for our restaurant business. WOW! An amazing new, innovative, trendy and professional approach taken by these guys has resulted in a brilliant new site, clearly directing so much more traffic through our business resulting in increased brand awareness and google presence. As a relatively new business, Start Digital will definitely be going places ! We really look forward to continuing to work with them in the future and watch both our and their business grow! Thanks Neil and the team at Start Digital.
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