Even the most aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly small business websites eventually need a facelift. At Bandicoot, we recommend a small business website redesign every 30 months max (approximately 2.5 years). At face value, this may seem quick. But unlike certain industries that seem to never change, or change very little through the years (think plumbing, aviation, elementary school education, etc), your website’s design can quickly feel like a shag carpet if you’re not careful. Nothing against shag carpet :-). The point is…who uses it anymore?! Your out of date website may be costing you leads and sales – and you don’t even know it!
Let’s look at 7 triggers that should tell you that it’s time for a small business website redesign.
1. Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly
With the growing reliance on smartphones for browsing the internet, having a website that doesn’t work seamlessly on mobile devices can significantly affect your business. Mobile-friendly websites are no longer optional; they’re a necessity. If your website doesn’t load properly, appear correctly, or function smoothly on mobile devices, it’s time for a small business website redesign. Also, don’t forget that the number of different types of devices has increased as well. You need to test your website on several different types, brands and sizes of devices.
Pro Tip: A FANTASTIC tool for testing your small business website on all kinds of devices for free is LT Browser. Our team uses this tool to run all of our sites that we do a small business website redesign for through lots of tests to ensure that our sites look great no matter what device they are viewed on.
2. Slow Website Loading Times
A small business website redesign can optimize your site’s speed, providing a better experience for users and helping your site perform better in search results. Google cares increasingly more and more about how fast your website loads when it makes decisions on who ranks for what terms in search. Additionally, if users sit around while your website takes 5+ seconds to load, they will bounce (leave). Often, they aren’t coming back. Consumers are expectant of fast-loading websites. Just think about it when you personally browse websites. Are you patient? Probably not! (pssss…we aren’t either!) Your small business website is no different, and your potential customers don’t have time to wait around. If your website is slow, it’s time for a redesign for your small business website.
Pro Tip: Use GT METRIX to test your website’s speed! An “A” grade is what we shoot for with all of our website maintenance plan customers.
3. Outdated Website Design
Web design trends change more rapidly than you think! A website that looked modern and cutting-edge just a few years ago might now appear outdated and unattractive, even though you as the business owner are used to it. As small business owners, we can often think that our own website is “fine still,” while we judge others’ websites and call them outdated. An old-fashioned website can make visitors question the professionalism and relevance of your business. At Bandicoot, we often hear small business owners say “wow…I didn’t even know that was going on these days in website world.” If your site feels outdated, a small business website redesign can breathe new life into your online presence.
4. Low Website Conversion Rates
If you’re not seeing the conversion rates you want from your website, it might be due to design issues. What is conversion rate? Take the number of new leads or sales you receive from your website each month, and divide it by the number of total visitors to your website that same month. For example, you received 10 new leads from your website in a month, and 200 total visitors. This would be a 5% conversion rate. There is no “industry standard” conversion rate number, as it varies by industry, and can vary widely depending on how much traffic you get to your website in general. Just know that higher is better! And an outdated website in need of a website redesign can result in a low conversion rate. A small business website redesign focused on user experience and conversion rate optimization can help turn your site into a more effective marketing tool.
Pro Tip: Use Google Analytics (for FREE!) to track your website visitors and your conversion rate. Unfortunately, it’s not super easy to set up. Our team can help if you need help with that setup!
5. Your Business Has Evolved or Changed
Many small business owners gets complacent with updating their website as their business changes over the years. As your business grows, your website should reflect that growth. Maybe you’ve added new products or services, changed your target audience, or updated your branding. If your current website no longer accurately represents your business, a small business website redesign can align your website with your current business goals and identity. At Bandicoot, we see small business owners wait entirely too long to bring their website up to the standards of where their current business is. If your company started out targeting small businesses, but now you have shifted and are focused on much larger companies for your ideal customer profile – your website needs to reflect that! Don’t forget that your website is largely the front door for almost all new business that comes in.
6. Poor Website User Experience (UX)
UX (short for “User Experience”) is all about how visitors interact with your website. If users find it hard to navigate your site or can’t quickly find the information they need, they’re likely to leave and never return. UX is one of those things that changes quickly with society. As new apps launch and get popular, users get used to navigating digital experiences in certain ways. A couple examples of ways we interact with digital experiences now that we didn’t just a few years ago:
- Swiping down from the top of the screen to refresh the page on mobile
- Long-press on screen items to see a menu of action options
- Expecting all important info to be on the website home page instead of having to dig through the main navigation to find pertinent information in other places on the website
Ineffective navigation, complicated forms, poor content structure, and inconsistent design elements can all lead to a poor user experience. If visitors aren’t staying on your site or engaging with your content, it’s time to think about a small business website redesign focused on UX.
7. You’re Not Keeping Up With Competitors
In the digital world, keeping pace with or staying ahead of your competitors is key. If your competitors’ websites offer better user experiences, more features, or a more appealing design, you might lose potential customers to them. This trigger in particular is very industry-specific. You may find that while the world at large has not embraced a certain web design style, layout or function, your industry has. Examples here might include a competitor laying out their home page in a certain way, or adding certain functionality to offer potential customers. Regularly assess your competition and ask yourself whether your website stands up. If not, a small business website redesign could be necessary to give you a competitive edge.
Pro Tip: our team would LOVE to help you toss around the idea of whether a small business website redesign is something you should consider! Simply use the Get Started button on your screen to reach out. We’d love to say hello and hear more about your small business website redesign needs.
In Conclusion: Do You Really Need A Small Business Website Redesign?
A small business website redesign is an opportunity to improve your website’s functionality, aesthetics, and overall performance. It’s an essential part of maintaining a successful digital presence that effectively represents your brand and resonates with your target audience. If your site looks great, but it’s overwhelming to stay up to date with all of the maintenance, you might consider a website maintenance plan!
