So why should you update your website and what are the main reasons for a website redesign?
Why should I update my website?
We’ve mentioned it frequently in our insights, but your website is your shopfront. If your website appears outdated, has poor user experience and out-of-date content, this can put potential clients off! An outdated website can also be affecting your overall performance, in terms of SEO, compatibility with new technologies and security vulnerabilities.
The main reasons for websites being redesigned:
Changes to your website and industry
Whether it is just small shifts in technology, a new project launch or a new strategy. The content on your website should always be up to date. Content and images that are dated become irrelevant and this can reflect poor brand image and commitment to stay current.
You want to be known for reliable and relevant content that your users refer to when needed.
Out-of-date design
The lifecycle of trends is short. We are in a fast culture where trends leave as fast as they come in. Website design trends are just the same. A website that looks modern now may appear outdated in just a few years.
With tech constantly developing there are always new features and integrations that change the functionality of websites.
These go out of date too. For example, using sliders / carousels in headers. At one point they were everywhere… and now they aren’t. Your messaging is the focal point and shouldn’t be confused with other messaging.
When we talk about web design trends this includes prominent calls to action, single-column layout, imagery and videos and scannable content.
Outdated frameworks
Many Content Management Systems (CMS), for example WordPress, have continuous performance, feature and security updates, much like your computer operating system. If managed correctly, they extend the lifespan of your website.
But even so, some of the underlying frameworks can become obsolete. As performance has become a major factor online in the last few years, some bloated frameworks are just not conducive to speed, which leads us nicely onto our next point.
Low performance
Site speed is one of the main factors that indicate poor performance and can result in a high bounce rate. Users expect rapid access to information, without this they may consider you to be behind current standards and this can damage your brand reputation and encourage users to visit your competitor’s sites.
Have you updated your website to be mobile-responsive? As of September 2024, people using mobile devices contribute to 63.38% of all website traffic. Websites that fail to adapt to various screen sizes can experience low performance and poor user experience.
Rebranding
A rebrand usually involves changes to your logo, colour scheme, typography and potentially tone of voice. If your website doesn’t reflect these updates, it can lead to inconsistencies across your brand touchpoints. This weakens your brand’s identity and detracts from a smooth, coherent customer journey.
If your messaging has changed, this also needs to be portrayed effectively through your website content, to optimise performance, align with your strategy and communicate your value proposition to attract and engage your target audience.
Needed new features and integrations
As your business grows, so should your website. You may need new features and integrations to allow you to utilise your website, such as live chat, e-commerce capabilities, or marketing automation tools, and they may require updates to the underlying code or platform.
Redesigning the website ensures compatibility with these tools and prevents performance issues such as slow loading times or broken elements.
With these new features, you also may need to rethink the design of your website, in particular the navigation and layout to ensure a positive user experience.
SEO
A website redesign can also give you to opportunity to utilise the site for better search engine rankings by improving the site architecture, fixing broken links and updating content to align with SEO best practices. Search engines frequently update their algorithms, which can impact a site’s ranking.
Key things to remember:
To help you determine whether or not you need to update your website, consider all of the features above – but also ask yourself these questions:
- Has the main message of the business evolved?
- Has the content strategy changed?
- How are you positioning yourself?
- What are people talking about?
- What are my competitors doing (You do not want to be left behind if all competitors have new websites with extra functionality and features)
Conclusion
Of course, every industry is different and certain design trends may not be relevant for your sector. However, it is crucial to stay up to date with your website and industry trends. What is everyone else talking about and how can you improve your website over time so that it isn’t being left behind?
