Years ago (many years ago now) businesses relied on the Yellow Pages to promote their services. The best part of this was that each year at renewal time there was forced opportunity to evaluate how well this promotion was working and if it still represented the organization.
Today we rely on our digital presence to represent our brand. But how often have your evaluated it’s performance?
You might have an outdated site and not even know it. Today’s users are pickier than ever and they want the freshest, most relevant content, and the latest website design elements. Of course, so do the search engines. If you’re wondering why your website isn’t doing better, consider the following signs that you might be a little behind the times.
According to Carleton University in Ottawa, it takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not, and whether they’ll stay or leave.
Carleton University, Ontario, Canada
1. Stale or Inaccurate Content.
If your content is dated, it’s not useful. Not only that but when search engines index sites, they look for fresh content. Even just updating the site monthly can make a big difference in rankings, and fact-checking yourself never hurts.
2. Terrible Rendering on Mobile Devices.
Mobile is the default for most people today. If your site isn’t mobile-compatible, you’re losing a large segment of your audience to competitors whose sites are ready for mobile. Some major brands even design using a “mobile-first” concept -- it might be worth a look.
3. Cyberattacks are Common.
Does your website get attacked or shut down frequently? Security threats are real and part of an updated site is having current security measures in place. When you update your website, you’ll want to add encryption for your peace of mind and your search rankings.
4. Low Organic Search Rankings.
Today’s organic search rules require an updated, current website that is user-friendly, mobile-compatible, and that provides useful and relevant content. Thus, if your site doesn’t measure up, you’re probably not ranking high in search results. Consider a revamp.
5. Not Generating Leads.
Are things slow-going in the world of Internet lead generation? Your website doesn’t have to be a million-dollar design to get attention. It just has to be current and provide people with the information and connections they need to get in touch.
6. Slow Loading Pages.
Speed is everything these days. If your website pages take significant visible time to load, your users aren’t going to wait around. Most sites can be designed for agile performance and quick loading without a huge investment. Cut the fat and get up to speed.
7. Can't Update the Content.
Modern websites are built using content management systems. These systems provide you with a login and a way to easily create new content or update existing pages on your site. Most of these systems don't require that you have technical knowledge - it should be as simple as using a standard word processor.
8. Design is Outdated or No Longer Supports Web Design Best Practices.
If your website design is clunky, or if you’re still using Comic Sans on a bright blue background, you might want to re-evaluate your decisions. If your images still look like clip-art or your site looks like it was thrown together simply to exist, it might be time to reconsider. What people want in a website is very different today-- make sure that you’re delivering.
9. No Longer Representative of Your Brand.
Take a good look at your website and think about how well it reflects the current brand image that you are trying to project. Again, if your site was just tossed online to make sure you have a presence, or if it hasn’t been updated since it launched 10 years ago, it probably no longer reflects your brand and what you stand for.
10. Ashamed to Share.
If you aren’t eager to hand out your business cards or tell people your website URL, there is probably a reason. You should have a website that you are proud of and that you want people to visit. If you don’t, it’s time to make a change.
In Conclusion
These are just a few of the key things that you will want to look for when considering a website update. Although there are plenty of other signs that you might be behind the times, these are the most obvious ones, and the ones that are most harmful to your rankings.
Keeping your digital presence up to date requires regular checking in on the performance of your website. Aptitude can help – get in touch and we can review some options to ensure your website is representing your brand in the best light.
Did these signs resonate with your feeling about your own website? Reach out to Aptitude and ask us how we can help.