Are you unsure whether your website needs a re-design? View our checklist to find out…
Like most other technology, the internet is forever evolving with websites needing to adapt to modern web design standards.
If you think back over 10 years ago, the standards of websites were significantly different to todays efficient websites. So it is very important that no matter what line of business your in your website doesnt appear to be out of date.
We have a checklist below which will help you decide if your website is in deed ready for a slight touch up or a full re design.
Slow Loading Pages
Who hates a slow loading website?
Let’s face it, we have all become impatient – no longer will we sit patiently, waiting for pages to load with fancy graphics and animations. Most modern websites are optimised for speed & performance to the extent that they load their entire content in just a few seconds!
It’s not rocket science, simply time your pages on all devices (desktop & mobile platforms) – if you find that you’re twiddling your thumbs then it’s could potentially be time for a website upgrade. There are also some handy tools out there to measure your website speed so it may not need a full re-design but it may need a few tweeks or updates to help.
On average if your pages are taking longer than 5 seconds to load then not only are you driving potential customers away, but also losing a footing on Google rankings and position.
Starting to Look Old and Outdated
Your website reflects your business online – first impressions last and why it’s important your website looks modern and on trend.
It’s not only how your website looks to deem it outdated, but your content also has a big impact too – it’s easy to become lazy and not update your website content (such as current events & recent work), visitors are likely to turn away quickly from your business!
This also applies to your social media platforms – if your website has a blog/latest news section, make sure new content is published regularly so that customers can see the website is active.
So it is highly importand to keep your latest news updated at least once a month. This just shows that you are an active business. It can also help with Rankings as Google always loves fresh content.
Read our article on The Importance of Blogging
Your Website is Not Mobile Responsive
Over the last decade, with the introduction of smart phones (and tablet devices) there has been a huge shift towards browsing whilst on the move.
As of 2020, Mobile and tablet traffic combined make up more than half of all web traffic globally. Businesses can no longer disregard handheld devices and just have websites that perform and function on desktop/laptop computers.
So at Northern Monkey we understand that making sure a website works just as good on a mobile / Tablet as it does on a desktop.
Does your website? If not it is definately time for a re-design.
Do You have a Good Mobile Experience
Make sure all images are optimised for online browsing – they should load quickly and fit to screen size used.
Text should be scalable and adapt to the width of the screen – words including titles should not lead-off the screen.
Layouts should adjust to the screen orientation and size. Sections with several elements on a desktop might display them side-by-side but on a mobile screen they should be stacked in a cohesive manner, one under the other.
A menu system designed specifically for mobile/table devices. For example, no full width menus that span across the screen (like a desktop), visitors having to zoom into the page to click on a link or drop-down menu.
Are You Still in Line With Your Brand Identity?
To be a successful business you need to know when to adapt your brand identity with the times, asking questions such as ‘Is my current branding still suitable for my target audience’?
Alternatively, if your business has recently undergone a change in branding your website will need to reflect this and fall in line with the new brand direction – if your website branding differs from your general brand, visitors will be confused as to the message your business is sending and portraying.
Can You Update Your Own Content?
All modern websites are built with a Content Management System (CMS) in place – the most popular platform been WordPress, used to power millions of websites globally.
A CMS allows website owners to update all content from page copy, uploading/changing imagery to writing blog articles themselves without the need of expert help.
Without such a system in place, you won’t be able to update your website frequently. Doing so would be time consuming and costly, having to pay web developers for changes and updates when required.
Not Getting Enough Traffic or Visitors
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a huge weapon for businesses, it allows them to be seen by potentially thousands of visitors each day.
Googles page-ranking algorithm is forever changing and adapting to keep in line with society’s browsing habits. As a result, it is vitally important that your website is up to date and modern – Google punishes websites that are slow, unresponsive (not mobile & tablet friendly) and displays outdated content.
Conclusion
As a general rule of thumb websites tend to have a shelf life of around 3-4 years before needing to have a full over haul. In-between that time it is important that you keep on top of updates to increase sales / conversions as well as security.
If you need any FREE advice to see if you need a new re design or a few changes then please dont hesitate to get in touch.
