We recently posted an article on how often an organization should redesign its website. If it seems odd to think about redesigning a website based on a simple timeframe, I would agree with you. We have built sites that have lasted ten years or more and are still an effective marketing tool for those clients. It’s rare for a site to last that long but not impossible. For most sites though, after about 5 years it’s likely suffering from one or more of the following top 5 reasons it might be time to invest in website redesign. Along with detailing the reasons for a redesign, I’ll also share the ultimate benefits a redesign can bring to your organization.

How do you know if your website needs a redesign?

1. It looks outdated.

It doesn’t take long for a website to look outdated these days. Web design trends change from year to year and the more on-trend your site is, the quicker it will likely start to look outdated. This becomes even more prominent if no one is actively paying attention to the site or keeping its content up-to-date.

The truth is that most people will conduct online research before making an important purchase or business decision. And 75% of those people admit to making judgments on a company’s credibility based on its website design. The implication: A professionally designed website enhances the trust and credibility of your organization. A bad or outdated site could lead to lost customers.

Things to watch for:

• A high bounce rate on the home page. This can indicate visitors’ lack of trust.
• Short average time on site. Visitors are coming, not liking what they see, and leaving.
• Lots of traffic, but no leads or conversions. This indicates visitors are getting to the site, not finding trust, and going elsewhere for their needs.

Benefits of a refresh:

This one is a no-brainer. A modern, well-designed website leads directly to an improvement in brand perception. If you can provide your visitors with a clear journey, clear messaging, and no-doubt calls to action, they will have a better experience that leads to trust and respect for your brand and organization.

2. It no longer reflects your business or marketing goals.

If your website no longer reflects what your business goals are, then it’s not an effective tool for gaining new customers or converting in ways that meet your goals. For many organizations, a website is the most important tool in gaining new customers, making a sale, and keeping their users informed. It’s critical that your website presents a direct reflection of your marketing and organizational goals.

Things to watch for:

• The sales funnel on the website no longer matches your conversion goals.
• The site doesn’t have a clear sales funnel. Even if you don’t actually sell anything, you should still have a clear ‘sales’ funnel.
• The navigation isn’t reflective of your business goals and doesn’t direct users to the information they’re looking for / you’re providing.

Benefits of a website redesign:

Realigning your marketing channels around a thoughtfully redesigned website with a clear sales funnel that matches your business goals will hopefully lead to an increase in sales and conversions.

3. It has a bad user experience.

An outdated, old, and unmaintained site is bad. But worse may be a site that looks good but is too difficult to use. Imagine the frustration of your site’s visitors who can’t easily find the information they are looking for. Or those who want to buy what you’re selling but can’t find the sales funnel. A cluttered, confusing, poorly designed, or disorganized site will lead to customers quickly leaving. A bad user experience can be subjective to determine, but more often than not, you know it when you’re in it.

Things to watch for:

• Confusing navigation — Menu items should be clear and take users where they expect to go.
• Cluttered layout — Too many competing elements on a page with no clear hierarchy makes it hard to focus.
• Hidden or minimized CTAs — Calls to action should be clear, stand out, and be obvious.

Benefits of a custom redesign:

A website redesign can optimize the experience for your visitors, leading to them easily navigate your site, find what they are looking for, and smoothly slide down your sales funnel. A website that is pleasing to use will lead to increased brand loyalty, reinforce positive perceptions of your organization, and lead to return visits.

4. It’s become unwieldy and hard to maintain or update.

Over time almost everything breaks down and creeps towards entropy. Websites included. Maybe that’s dramatic but I really wanted to use the word entropy and it feels fitting. Over time new pages, features, plugins, etc. get added, pages are nested within pages, and suddenly updating takes special knowledge or understanding to edit. Important changes to content, structure, and functionality get deprioritized due to the pure headache of making what should be simple updates.

Things to watch out for:

• Complex, deeply nested page structure — Too many layers of pages and navigation can make things hard to find and update.
• There are only one or two people who have the know-how — If knowledge is siloed to just a few, that’s a bottleneck. (Not to mention an even bigger issue if those few in the know-how leave the organization. )
• Adding new features is cumbersome — Sites should be flexible to grow with your needs and change accordingly without a ton of time, effort, or resources.

Benefits of a redesign:

Redesigning a site with maintenance and simplicity in mind can make it easier for more of your staff to manage updates and additions. Making it easier ensures these updates will more likely happen and the site will stay fresh and relevant for much longer.

5. You simply hate or are embarrassed by it.

This. If you’ve read this far and you’ve mildly nodded your head at any of the above points, then you know in your heart of hearts that it is time. Maybe it’s simply the look and feel. Maybe it’s that the site no longer reflects your organization or its goals. Maybe your competitor’s site is better and gets more traffic. Or maybe you just need the kick in the pants your org needs to ramp up other marketing efforts. In all likelihood, this might be the most important reason to redesign a site. If you can’t stand it and won’t show it to your customers then it’s beyond time for a refresh and time to start thinking about reinvesting.

Custom website design should be a solid investment.

The choice to commit to a website redesign can seem daunting. The upfront investment in terms of website design cost and time commitment can easily push the decision down the road, saddling your organization with an old, ineffective website. The decision to redesign shouldn’t be taken lightly but there are definite benefits to investing in your site, including increased traffic and conversions. Considering the multitude of user experience, brand trust, SEO, and efficiency gains, putting resources into a substantive redesign sets up your site for success both now and in the coming years. And with strategic planning and execution, a website redesign delivers significant ongoing returns.

Spigot can help.

If you’re considering a redesign, give us a shout and we’d be happy to review your current website and discuss options. We’ll give you an objective analysis of where your site currently excels and any benefits a redesign might provide your organization.