So, you launched your business and quickly threw together a website to get you through. Or maybe you’ve been in business for a while, but your website has been on the back burner for a while because you’re focused on sales. It’s easy to fall into the workday routine and neglect – even inadvertently – a key piece that may be bringing you business. Is your current website still serving your needs? We created a checklist to help you determine if it’s time for a site update.
- You’re Not Making a Good First ImpressionTry to look at your site objectively, as an outsider might if they were looking for more information on your business. What might they think? Does it look fresh or outdated? Does it look trustworthy or sketchy? If your site doesn’t look modern, it’s going to turn people away because they will feel that either it’s an old site that didn’t come down when the business closed or that your products or services also aren’t keeping up with the times.
- It’s Not Mobile Responsive
More than half of Americans use their mobile phone to search for information. Pull up your site on your phone and see how it looks. Is it easy to navigate, or do you need to zoom in and scroll to try to find what you’re after? If it’s too much work to get the information, your potential customer will quickly move on. - It’s Not Secure
It only takes a glance at the start of your site’s URL in a web browser for someone to know whether it’s secure. If it’s not, they will immediately know that any information they enter could be compromised. - Your UX Isn’t Current
When we use websites, we have some basic expectations regarding navigation. Consider if users can easily find what they are looking for on your site. If they must search and dig for what they want, they probably will move on. - Your Content Isn’t Up to Snuff
One of the most important things for your site is clear, complete content that’s regularly updated. It impacts your SEO and how people find your site, but it’s also necessary if you want to turn casual interest into business. Consider how long it’s been since you have updated your site content. If it’s been more than three months, you’re overdue. - Your SERP Rankings are Lousy
Where on the search engine results pages does your site land for different search terms? If a key search term for your business doesn’t place you on the first page or two, you’re missing out on opportunities. - It Takes a While to Load
Is your site optimized to load as quickly as possible? You can test the load speed for free. - It’s Not Accessible
Is the color contrast on your site vivid enough to be readable by someone with color blindness? Are there alt tags on images that can be picked up by screen readers for those who are visually impaired? Don’t discriminate or limit your audience by failing to make your site accessible.
If you marked two or more, your business or organization would benefit from a website update. Want to get some help to make that happen? Just schedule a quick meeting and we can discuss options.
