A website is a crucial part of any business. In today’s world, they not only attract visitors and act as a way for potential customers to discover your brand – websites provide information on your products, act as a place to share your company’s values, and offer a space to list current job vacancies. Websites also give consumers a chance to make purchases at any time of the day and build brand credibility.
It is safe to say that a great website is one of a business’s most valuable assets. However, “great” is the keyword here. For a business to feel the full benefits of having a website, it needs to perform well in several categories: it must be optimised for SEO, load quickly and perform well, have an engaging and user-friendly design, be safe and secure.
Checking your current website against each of these four categories can help you determine whether your site is as successful as possible or whether you need to invest in a redesign. Here is a look at each of these four parameters and their importance in more detail.
Poor search engine ranking
People may navigate to your site through word of mouth or via links on social channels, but the vast majority will click on your link from a search engine. As such, search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital. It determines where your site will appear on a list of search results – the higher it sits, the more visible it is to potential customers and the more traffic you’ll receive. Google is constantly updating its algorithms, and if you aren’t ranking highly for your keyword it may be time for a website redesign.
Slow load time
The loading speed of your site has huge implications for the user experience. The longer your website takes the load, the more likely visitors are to become frustrated and click back to the search results. This high bounce-back rate will then implicate the SEO of your website, having ripple effects on the overall ranking and performance. If your site is taking more than a maximum of two seconds to load, this is a clear indication you need a redesign.
Poor aesthetic design
Having successfully directed users to the website and ensuring it loads quickly, the visual appeal is the next aspect to influence users’ actions. Having a design that gives users a positive perception of your business and brand is crucial. If people love the design of your website, they’re more likely to stay on it. Web design trends are constantly evolving, so if you have not changed the aesthetic of your site within the past few years it is time for an upgrade.
Unsecure website
Website security has less impact on your users’ impressions and the functionality of the site, and more effect on your business. Any website that is not secure has a greater potential of being hacked. These hackers can steal your customer information, which in turn damages your business reputation followed by a likely drop in sales and revenue. Any site without HTTPS also receives SEO penalties. If you know your site security is not up to scratch, it is another sure sign a redesign is needed.
