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Let me start this off by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong if you had a friend of a friend who knows something about websites design your first website for your small business in 2016. I’m a firm believer that having some sort of presence online is better than no website at all. However, if you haven’t updated your website since then, you’ll probably find that it will become more and more difficult to reach your business goals as time goes on.

Many of the experts at Ironistic recommend redesigning your website every 2-3 years. Depending on your industry, you may be able to get away with waiting a little longer between website redesigns. Regardless, it’s important to understand how crucial of a role your website plays in helping you grow your business.

What this really comes down to is trust. You want to make sure that potential customers can find the right information about your products or services online and that they feel right off the bat that they can trust your company. A recent study by Nielsen Norman Group showed that there are four main ways that websites can communicate trustworthiness in a brand: design quality, upfront disclosure, comprehensive and current content, and connection to the rest of the web. These are actually the very same principles identified way back in 1999 by Jakob Nielsen.

So if the principles of a trustworthy website have stayed the same over the past 20-plus years, why should businesses update their website every 2-3 years? The short answer is that the internet, search engines, and even consumer behaviors are constantly changing.

If you are wondering if you need a website update, here are some important questions to ask yourself (along with some free tools to help):

Is your website responsive on mobile?

Statistica reported that in 2018, 52.5% of all website traffic was generated through mobile phones. Take a moment to visit your website in the web browser on your phone. Is it easy to read, use, and navigate? Does it look the way you’d like it to? Chances are, if you haven’t updated your website in the past few years, it may not look very user-friendly on a newer device like an iPhone X.

Having a website that is responsive—meaning it automatically optimizes based on the device it’s being used on—is crucial in 2020. Make sure your website users have the same experience on phones and tablets that they would have on their desktop computer. 

Free tool: Check out Responsinator to see what your website looks like on different devices. From the newest iPhone to a tablet in landscape orientation, Responsinator will show you all of the different ways that online users may view your website.

Does your website load quickly?

Going along the same vein of usability, it’s important to keep a close eye on the page load times of your website. Google reports that 53% of mobile users will leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load.

Websites that were built even three to four years ago may not use the best or most up-to-date programming language that prioritizes page speed. Having a slow website can also affect your SEO, or how high your website ranks on Google’s search results pages. Make sure to prioritize usability by keeping your load times low.

Free tool: Google’s Page Speed Tool provides a free analysis of your website page load times, along with some recommendations to better optimize your website speed.

What do your competitors’ websites look like?

When was the last time you visited a competitor’s website? If you were to compare your website against one of your competitors’, would you say that yours looks better and is easier to navigate? If not, potential customers on the web may feel the same way.

Think of it this way: your website is a storefront for your business that is open 24/7, and your potential customers are constantly looking for a solution to a problem that you can solve. They will either visit your website or those of your competitors. Make sure to keep your online “storefront” as updated and professional as possible, the same way you would maintain your physical storefront to appeal to customers.

Free Tool: Sign up for a free trial account on SimilarWeb, where you can compare your website traffic to that of your competitors. If you see that they are getting more traffic on their website, they’re probably also gaining more market share through their online efforts. If that’s the case, it’s time to get to work!

Does your website properly reflect your brand?

This one is a bit trickier to quantify with an online tool, but ask yourself this: does your storefront give off the same vibe that your website does? Again, your website is an online storefront that is open to customers 24/7. You want to make sure that it reflects your brand the same way your physical storefront does. For some customers, your website is their very first interaction with your brand. Is it giving the best first impression?

In inbound marketing, your website essentially functions as the central location for your digital marketing efforts. It’s crucial for this platform of yours to act as not only a hub of information for your potential customers, but also an accurate representation of your brand.

Free tool: The best free tool to analyze your website’s branding is another set of eyes! I am offering a Free Website Analysis to all of my subscribers that sign up. This analysis will help you learn how to

• Improve your page load speed

• Optimize your website design for mobile devices

• Increase your website traffic

• Use your website to help you reach your marketing and sales goals

If the thought of a full website design makes you nervous or overwhelmed, I’m here to ease that burden. I’ve helped a number of small businesses increase their customer base and visibility online by creating a simple and effective website for them. Sign up for my Free Website Analysis to get started.