Quick! How old is your website? If your answer was over 5 years, then yes, it’s time for a refresh.
The average website begins to feel outdated after just 3-5 years. Yep. That’s not a long time, but technology evolves at such a fast pace, there’s just no keeping up. Plus, design trends change rapidly too, so before you know it, your site looks and functions like an out of date site. You might not even realize it, but trust us, your consumers do.
And there’s no need to panic. That website design you spent a lot of money on just 5 years ago doesn’t need a complete overhaul. You might just need a simple refresh.
Website Considerations
Messaging
Take a look through your site, especially focusing on the home page and any other key pages-like services you provide or even product pages. Ask yourself if any of the messaging could be improved upon. Are your calls to action clear and prominent? Have your message points changed at all over the years? Are you speaking to your audience specifically?
Perception
Sometimes it’s hard to see our own website with clear eyes. You’re just too close to it. So ask a friend or even a friend of a friend to look it over. You need someone who can be honest and is within your target demographic. Can they clearly describe your business and what you offer? Are there issues they bring up that you weren’t aware of? Does the site feel fresh? Is it easy to navigate?
Action
First, determine why people come to your site. Is it to make a purchase? Learn more about your services? Now, make sure your calls to action are set up to facilitate the experience. Does your navigation make sense? Is it clean and simple? Can it be streamlined even more? What pages could be consolidated or even removed entirely? Do you still have outdated products on your site or old services that can be updated?
Aesthetics
Does your website match your brand? Is there a clear color scheme and style? And is that style still in style? What about the fonts that you are using? Have you incorporated video? Do you have any pages with very little white space? If so, that’s an easy fix. Brighten your site up to both feel more modern and to allow the information to be consumed more easily. Remove any unnecessary graphics or images that don’t feel current.
Basically, you just need to determine if your website is still serving you and your ideal customers. Sometimes a simple refresh is all it takes to give your site new life.