An outdated website does your business a major disservice. More than ever, it’s essential to have a website that is attractive, efficient, and user friendly. Your website is your online storefront, and you only have the blink of an eye to impress your viewers. People have incredibly short attention spans when it comes to browsing online, and if your website is taking too long to load or appears out of date, they will quickly exit and never return.
7 signs that your website is outdated
Below I’m sharing 7 key indicators that your website could use an upgrade, along with my recommended solutions for each issue.
It’s not responsive
In the age of the smartphone, mobile browsing has superseded Desktop browsing. That means there’s a good chance that at least half, if not the majority, of your site visitors are viewing your site on their phones (check your Google Analytics to confirm this). If your site is not responsive, meaning it doesn’t adjust to different device sizes, then those mobile browsers are getting a terrible user experience.
Solution: Hire a web designer to update your design for tablets and mobile devices. If you’re using WordPress, you can test how your site looks on different screen sizes in your Theme Customizer.
It’s slow to load
Does your site take longer than 3 seconds to load? If so, say goodbye to about 40% of your visitors. Fortunately, there are many fixes to slow-loading sites, although many of them require the expertise of a web developer. Use this tool to measure the speed of your site and receive personalized recommendations on how to improve it.
Solution: The best way to speed up your site is to hire a developer. Other fixes to try include installing a caching plugin, reducing image sizes, deactivating unnecessary plugins, and signing up for a CDN (content delivery network) service, such as Cloudflare.
It contains Flash
Flash may have been all the rage in the early 2000’s, but if you’re still using it today, it’s not doing your site any favors. The technology is outdated and won’t even work on most mobile devices. Having Flash on your site is a major indication that your website is outdated.
Solution: Hire a developer to replace your Flash with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.
There’s no call to action
Does your homepage have a clear and visible call to action? Remember, you only have a few seconds to grab your viewers’ attention. If you don’t tell them where to go or what to do, they won’t want to waste any time figuring it out for themselves. On the flip side of the coin, having too many CTA’s can overwhelm users and scare them off.
Solution: Make sure you have a single, clear call to action on each page of your site.
Related post: How to create a homepage that converts
It’s difficult to navigate
Navigation is an essential component of the user experience. If possible, avoid including more than 5 links in your main menu. From each page, you can link to relevant subpages to effortlessly guide users through your site.
Solution: If I’m working on a site that has subpages, I create a visual sitemap to lay out the site’s structure and navigation. This free tool can help you plan and visualize your sitemap.
It contains outdated images and information
This one is a no-brainer. Are the people pictured on your site dressed for the 90’s? Do you reference sources and statistics from 10 years ago? Are you using Times New Roman or (gasp!) Comic Sans? Another indicator of an outdated website is the year posted way at the bottom of your page, in the footer. Even if your site is up-to-date, if you display 2008 ©, your viewers will assume your info is outdated.
Solution: Review all the content on your site and update or delete any outdated info. If you have a staff directory on your site, ask your employees to submit an updated bio. Most importantly, make sure your listed contact info is still correct.
It doesn’t link to your social media accounts
In this day and age, every business needs to have a social media presence, whether you’re B2B, B2C, a freelancer, location-based, or some combination of the above. Why? Because that’s where pretty much everyone is hanging out. Websites are often serious and businesslike–social media gives your brand authenticity and personality. When someone encounters your site for the first time and is interested in your offerings, she will likely turn to your social media accounts to learn more about your business. Make it easy for your audience to get to know you.
Solution: Add links to your social media accounts in your footer, sidebar, blog posts, and contact page.
Still not sure if your website looks outdated? Don’t have time to update it on your own? Let’s chat and see how I can help.
