Most business owners recognize the fact that having a website has become a necessity. A website is your company’s digital face on the internet. It can serve roles like attracting new customers, or it can even be your digital storefront.
The problem many business owners have is that they view getting a website as a one-time thing. Build it once, get it online and let it serve its purpose. What’s being missed is that websites occasionally need updates.
According to experts from BANG! Website Design, a Phoenix website design company, “A business might need to update its website for a number of reasons. It might be to give the website a fresher, more modern look. If the website is old, you might need to update for security reasons or to implement the latest web technologies.”
Since a failure to update your website can hurt your business, it is important to understand some of the reasons why you might need an update. Read on to learn about some of the top reasons why businesses might need to update their websites.
It Looks Old
Web design is like many other types of designs: there are things that are in style, and there are things that are out of style. If you haven’t updated the appearance of your website in a long time, it probably looks dated. It might have looked slick and modern when it was first made, but the trends in web design can change fast.
An older style of web design might not seem like a big deal, but it sends a message about your company. When new customers visit your site, it will make a bad impression. People will think your business is behind the times. However, a quick redesign could do a lot to update the look.
Improve the User Experience
User experience (UX) is so important for the success of a website. The UX covers everything from the user interface and navigation to the process for making a transaction and the layout of the pages. If visitors have a hard time achieving their goals, they won’t want to use your site. They might even decide they would rather go to a competitor because their site provides a better experience.
SEO Overhaul
SEO is one of the core elements of digital marketing for most websites. A good SEO strategy will make it so your site is easier to find in search engines and that your pages rank for the relevant search terms.
In some cases, minor page updates can be enough to get your SEO back on track. However, some websites might need a more comprehensive update. If you are having issues with SEO and can’t seem to work them out, you might need to perform an SEO audit and then have the website redesigned.
Outdated Information
If your website has been up for a long time, you might have a lot of old information on your pages. Maybe you have products or services listed that you no longer offer. Maybe certain facts about your business or products have changed. Whatever it may be, you should take the time to assess the information on your site and update anything that is out of date.
A Shift in Your Marketing Strategy
Maybe your marketing problems go further than an SEO update. You might need to rethink your digital marketing strategy altogether. In many cases, a major shift in the marketing strategy will require an update to your website. Maybe you want to add new landing pages for social media marketing or you might decide your site needs more information resources to educate customers. If you do change your marketing strategy you might need to update your website so it can align with the new marketing goals.
Deploy New Technologies
Web technologies are always evolving. If you don’t take the time to update, your site may experience all sorts of problems. As an example, you might need a range of security patches to protect the information of your business and its customers. There are also technology updates that might improve the experience.
Responsive design is one example of a technology update that might be useful. You now have customers that may access your site from any number of devices. You want it to look good and be easy to use whether they are on a smartphone or at their desk using a PC. With responsive design, you can build a website that adapts to the device of the visitor.
A website is not something you just build once. It is going to need several updates throughout the years. However, regular maintenance and smaller updates to the design can be useful as well. With just a little work, you can do a lot to make sure your business is getting the most from its website.
