Accelerating at full speed into unknown territory, technology continues to push boundaries and surpass unfathomable limits. Driving right alongside, marketing strategies and business practices are similarly revolutionizing to keep pace with the times.
Many of these advancements have undeniably eased a few burdens, but becoming complacent and falling asleep at the wheel of your business’ technological dealings is a danger to the health of the company. As a business owner, being able to tap into that pocket of potential where technology properly serves the needs of your company without compromising intrinsic ingenuity is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. The first arena to take charge and apply this concept, is your website.
Gone are the days where your business could get by with just a basic website that was slapped together like a Subway sandwich. Nowadays, the secret to a thriving business is a well designed, easily navigable and engaging website that meets the needs of the business and customers alike–the whole shebang. To really stand out in the crowd and rise in the rankings, you can’t afford lag or skimp when it comes to your business’ online presence.
If you think your website might be longing for an upgrade, then see if you can recognize any of these five signs your website needs work:
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It’s outdated
Websites require regular maintenance and if you neglect basic upkeep, glitches, such as broken links, slow page loading, and other issues will negatively affect your visitors experience and their impression of your company. People don’t hesitate to judge the credibility of a company based on the design of its website. Outdated content can lead new and existing customers astray, sending negative subliminal messages, such as “I just don’t care.” Not a great first impression. Even if you’ve been making little changes along the way, the complex computer code that structures your website changes too. Disregarding these changes inevitably leads to cluttered navigation and, if visitors need a map to traverse your site, it’s time to consider complete overhaul.
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It’s being anti-social
According to Statista, 78% of Americans and nearly 2 billion people worldwide are active on social media. These numbers aren’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon and social media marketing is now a college major (#notkidding). It’s vital that your website has social media components and interacts well with most, if not all, social media platforms. Incorporating a shareable blog with links to popular social media sites is a great marketing tool! When your website makes it easy for users to click and share content and move between social media and your site you, will be thriving where the hashtags happen.
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It’s sliding down the SERPs
If you’ve been slipping further down in search engine rankings, it may be an indication that your website needs a little TLC. A high search engine ranking is important not only because it’s free, but it’s usually the number one way potential customers will find you on the Internet. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a cryptic technique and that can make it difficult to decode what search engines look for when they rank webpages. However, one thing is crystal clear: search engines reward quality content. Stale content can be the final nail in the coffin, but revamping your website can revitalize your whole business!
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It’s not playing well with other devices
Internet usage by mobile devices surpassed desktop usage worldwide last year. A lot of emphasis is being made on updating websites to be mobile friendly, and responsive design is the key that unlocks this domain. Responsive design allows webpages to respond to the size of the screen or browser they are being viewed on. For example, an iPhone, tablet, Kindle, laptop, etc. will all display the glorious spectacle of a consistent, easy-to-navigate website. As it turns out, Google and responsive design go together like rama lama lama ka dingity dinga dong because Google favors mobile friendly websites and prioritizes them in search algorithms. If you’ve been paying attention, then you know this is über important for SEO. So if your website was not built with responsive design…oh, look at the time…it’s upgrade o’clock.
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You’ve outgrown it
Businesses and brand identities evolve over time and your website must adapt to stay relevant. Whether your brand has undergone a complete renovation or experienced a change over the years, your website should reflect your current identity, not who you were when the website first went live. You’ve grown as a business and showcasing that invaluable, hard-earned experience you’ve gained to your customers is a slick little marketing tactic. Remember, a website is far more than just an extension of your business, so take the time to evaluate if it’s properly representing your current vision and mission in a way that relates to your customers.
If any number of these signs your website needs work rang true, then it’s time to hit refresh.
A well designed and developed website is a smart investment that saves time, money, and manpower. Websites promote your business 24/7, which is something no employee can do, making it one of your most valuable marketing tools. If you aren’t using your website to its full potential, contact Net Designs today to get a glimpse of the seemingly endless possibilities your website is capable of fulfilling.
Never neglect an opportunity for improvement.
Author: Kendall Dick, Net Designs Blogger
Net Designs, Wendy Bedell | (269) 428-5016 | wendy.bedell@netdesignsonline.com | Contact