In web design guides, there’s always a lot of talk about engagement, bounce rates and total visit times, along with a handful of tips to improve their performance. In many cases, the advice can be helpful, but it only applies if and when a site has been adequately developed. Over time, even the best website layouts and designs can fall by the wayside.
A more vital strategy is, and always will be, to assess the current design. Don't just look for ways to improve — you should also ensure everything is in working order. It may not always be apparent when a redesign is necessary or what needs to be fixed. Here are several indicators that you can use to properly review your site.
1. Low Search Engine Rankings
Marketing and design teams often spend a lot of time on search optimization, and for good reason. However, many make the error of treating it as the only factor influencing rankings, or at least the only one that matters. That’s not true at all. In fact, search giants like Google penalize sites for poor performance and negative user experiences.
If you notice your site isn’t ranking as well as it used to, or if you’re not ranking at all, it’s not always because Google or Microsoft changed the algorithms. A lot of times, it’s because your website needs a performance boost or an overhaul.
Recommended: Local SEO: A Comprehensive Guide to Boosting Your Local Search Rankings in 2019
2. Watch Your Competition
Ever heard of design envy? It’s a real thing, but it’s not necessarily bad. However, if you’re working with an older design and notice your rivals changing up their web game, it might be time to do the same with your site. It’s especially true if their new websites are more appealing or more responsive. You may be losing traffic, leads and customers because theirs looks more professional and inviting.
It’s the same concept as when a rival or competitor changes their branding. When they update, it may be a sign you need to as well. At the least, it may indicate that the market — and customers — are moving in a new direction.
That said, if you recently overhauled your site, then give it some time.
3. You Have Text Walls
It’s 2020, and visuals are a thing. People love bite-sized information or snippets they can consume and understand quickly. It may have been OK in the early and mid-'90s to have sites dominated with text, but that’s no longer the case — and it hasn’t been for a long while.
Dumping too much text on your visitors can give the impression a site is outdated, scaring off potential clients and leads. If there are more words than images on your website, change it up. Any copy you do use should be buttoned up. Hire a skilled copywriter to keep it snazzy, fun and concise.
4. You Have No Content
Without delving too far down the rabbit hole, content marketing is a thing, and it works superbly. If your website has no evergreen or regular content, it’s time to change that. It’s also important to establish a system that allows you to create and update information quickly and effortlessly. This may require swapping to a CMS such as WordPress.
You don’t have to update a blog or news section every day, but you do need to keep the content consistent. It keeps your customers and visitors up-to-date and also gives them a reason to come back.
5. Load Times Suck
No one has the time to sit around waiting for a site to load, and even if they did, can you blame them for not wanting to? Do you just sit there watching a frozen video for hours with a buffering symbol rotating in your face?
Be sure to visit your website, as guests would, to check for performance issues. How long does a page take to load? Are images delayed? Are there broken links? Does the login or checkout process hang for a long time? These are all things to watch out for, and they signal the need to redesign or restructure a site.
Remember to check the performance of your site on mobile, too.
6. It’s Not Mobile-Friendly
For a time, it was necessary to create two versions of a website, one for mobile users and the other for desktop. Now we use something called responsive design, which adapts onscreen and page elements to match the resolution of a user’s device. In other words, the technology can identify when someone is on mobile or a desktop, and it delivers the appropriate design specifications.
It’s a neat trick that tends to work well, except when it doesn’t. Sometimes, even though a site shrinks elements or adapts to match the smaller screens and resolutions, navigation and other interactions end up more frustrating. It’s always important to consider the mobile experience, especially since most users are probably going to be visiting your site from a smartphone.
Up to 70% of all web traffic happens on a mobile device. In the U.S., 57% comes from a smartphone or tablet. It’s the dominant audience, so don’t leave them out.
Recommended: 6 Kinds of Mobile Content to Create in 2020
7. Low Conversion Rates
Every site exists to solve a problem, or more specifically, to sell a product or service. Traffic is a fantastic indicator of how many people visit and peruse your site, and may also give some idea of who’s interested in your brand. Unfortunately, high traffic does not translate to guaranteed sales.
What are your conversion rates? How often do customers purchase from you or subscribe? One of the most alarming indicators that a website redesign is necessary is when there are thousands upon thousands of visitors, but remarkably few conversions.
Recommended: 8 Effective Ways to Increase Your Conversion Rate
8. Site Security Is Questionable
In just the first half of 2019, data breaches exposed over 4.1 billion records. About 71% of those breaches were financially motivated, while 25% were intended for espionage. Moreover, 52% of breaches featured hacking, 28% malware, and 32-33% involved phishing or social engineering.
Cybersecurity is a growing concern for everyone, from small businesses to big corporations. Despite that, some of the worst security vulnerabilities are manageable. Common problems stem from weak passwords, stolen credentials, back door and app vulnerabilities, out-of-date software, social engineering, too many permissions or authenticated users, and insider threats. The list goes on.
Many of these issues can damage your site, and probably do. Find a security analyst or expert and ensure that the system, servers and website are secure. If there are issues, a redesign is not only a smart idea, it’s also vital to the continued safety and health of your business.
Final Advice
Many believe websites are a one-and-done solution, where you pay to have the site designed or developed and then let it sit for years. That doesn’t fly today, and truthfully, it never did.
It also means that managing a website can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right assistance and support, it can be the best of the best, all the time. For now, stick with a minor review and look for the signs discussed here. If you recognize any of them, it’s time to update your website.
Devin Partida writes about topics concerning tech and the internet. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of ReHack.com.
