seven signs your website needs a refresh.

Website trends and technology are constantly advancing - has your website? It may be obvious that you need a revamp, but if you’re not sure, here are seven signs it’s time to refresh your website.

Your website is not mobile friendly.

Check out your website right now on your phone. Does it load properly? Does the text fit? Or is key information falling off the page?

With so many people accessing the internet on their phones, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. If your site isn't optimised for mobile devices, you may be missing out on potential traffic and customers.

Glitchy features or broken links.

Do you have a rotating banner that’s only displaying one blog post from 2021? Or widgets that are failing to load? Perhaps key links on your website lead your customers to a 404 error page… If the third-party plugins used to build you website fail to work properly, chances are your website and the software running it has fallen behind.

Broken or glitchy features on your website can hurt your SEO - and erode trust in your brand.

Poor user experience.

Find someone who has never looked at your website before and ask them to navigate to certain pages. If they struggle to find your contact information, your services or products, or other key information you need your customers or clients to access - you have a problem.

If users have trouble navigating your website, finding information, or completing tasks, it may be time to rethink your site's structure and layout.

Slow load times.

Clear your cache and see how long your website takes to load. Now give it a go on your mobile device when it’s not connected to wifi. Did you get frustrated or bored? Would potential clients?

For a more accurate indication of how long your website takes to load use Pingdom or Google Page Speed Insights to test your site.

If your website takes too long to load, users may become frustrated and leave. Updating your website and optimising the content you are sharing can do a lot to speed up your website.

Security issues.

If visitors see a security warning when they try to visit your site, you can consider them lost. Websites that rely on third-party plugins or iframes to embed content can be particularly problematic under updated security standards. If your website is vulnerable to hacking or malware attacks, it's time for an upgrade. A secure website is essential to protecting your users' data and maintaining their trust.

Old and clunky design.

Was your website designed before the pandemic? Chances are you’re due for a revamp.

Believe it or not the industry standard is to revamp website design every two to three years. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but the timeframe is a reflection of how fast technology, user behaviour, SEO standards and trends are moving online.

For websites on the Squarespace 7.0 platform, building a new website on the 7.1 platform can greatly improve the speed and user experience on your website - while also unlocking a whole range of new features.

But a modern website isn’t just about the backend - a fresh design can greatly improve user experience, make your brand look current and build trust among potential clients and customers.

Outdated content.

Photos featuring old staff members, or information about services you no longer provide aren’t as problematic as security issues - but outdated content can cost you business opportunities.

Take a moment to review your website asking the question, does it still reflect the work you are doing? Are your new projects, services or products visible to potential clients or customers? Would you target audience know how you can help them today? If you don’t highlight the new services you’re offering on your website - they won’t.

Refreshing your website copy, adding new images, updating testimonials or case studies can also help improve your search engine rankings while keeping existing clients engaged.

As your business evolves, your website may need to evolve with it. If you've changed your branding, target audience, or products/services, a new website that reflects those changes may be in order.

So how does your website stack up? If you have security issues, broken links, a poor user experience, or old and clunky or unresponsive design, you need a new website.

If the problem is outdated content or slow load times - you may be able to get away with a few tweaks to your existing site. I can help you create an effective new Squarespace website that connects with your audience.