7 Signs Your Business Website Needs Updating

Design trends and online technology change so frequently these days, that it’s hard to keep up for most companies. Although staying current with trends may not be top of your marketing list, staying up to date with online technology is essential. Before changing your site, use this website redesign and SEO migration checklist to plan your URLs, redirects and launch checks. Most people think they can have a website designed once and that it’s now good for the next 10 years, or even forever. Ongoing care is essential, but how do you decide when to update a website? It’s not like websites (and corporate/promotional media) have an expiry date like stale food in a supermarket. To make sure you capitalise on all of the new online opportunities and maximise your incoming traffic, a stale website could be the one thing holding you back.

It is sensible to review your website regularly, even when a redesign was not part of the initial budget. Improvements may support better results, but the return depends on your goals, audience and execution. There is no universal two- or three-year replacement deadline: assess performance, content and technical condition before committing to a rebuild.

What does a stale website say about your company?

Having an old, uninspiring company website can be almost as damaging as not having one at all. If your site still looks like it did 10 years ago, the chances are it’s not doing you any favours. If your site still relies on Adobe Flash, that content needs replacing: Flash Player support ended in 2020, and Adobe blocked playback in January 2021. Below we will discuss the reasons for creating a brand new website and also some more obvious pointers that your old site is now obsolete.

1. Your Website Isn’t responsive (mobile-friendly)

If visitors struggle to use your website on a phone, mobile usability should be a priority in your next update. This is probably one of the most important and most common reasons to start looking for a web designer. Mobile viewers want fast loading, intuitive websites that are easy to navigate and easy to read. Check practical details such as readable text, touch-friendly navigation and click-to-call links. An older site may already support these features, so test the actual experience rather than judging by age alone.

2. An outdated and stale design

Another reason for reviewing a website is an outdated visual design. Your website may have looked passable 10 years ago but your brand, audience and expectations may have changed since then. First impressions count if you are trying to entice a new customer or client. A website that is too basic or looks like it was designed with old technologies may make it harder to build confidence with your target audience. If you take into account that your website’s appearance is a direct reflection of your business image, then it makes sense to make sure it’s polished.

3. Your website platform no longer meets your needs

Another reason to consult a professional web designer is that your existing website builder no longer supports the business you want to run. Online builders can be a practical choice, but their design, integration and export options vary. Before deciding to move, ask which content, images, products and settings can be transferred and which parts would need rebuilding. A site may depend on its provider’s hosted technology, so moving a domain does not necessarily move the website itself. Compare the cost of improving your current site with the cost of a rebuild, including subscriptions, essential features and ongoing maintenance. The right choice depends on your requirements rather than whether the original website was made with a builder. View some of our website design projects for examples of different approaches.

4. The technology is out of date

Even if your website used current technology when it was built, it needs ongoing maintenance. Unsupported software and missed security updates can expose it to known vulnerabilities. This applies to the hosting environment as well as a CMS such as WordPress or Joomla, its themes and its plug-ins. Open-source software is not automatically unsafe: what matters is using supported components, applying updates and managing access appropriately. Ask your designer to review what is installed, remove unused components and explain who is responsible for maintenance. Keep recoverable backups and check important functions after updates. The official WordPress security guidance provides a useful reference. A complete redesign may be appropriate if the underlying technology can no longer be maintained, but smaller updates may resolve other issues.

5. Ever evolving browsers and operating systems

Browsers and operating systems receive regular updates. Test your website on relevant devices and widely used browsers such as Firefox, Safari and Chrome. Although these browsers all use similar structures, they all display your site slightly differently. Due to the endless variations of themes and base platforms this can leave your site displaying irregularly on some browsers. This is usually ironed out once your web designer has finished on the creative side and begins to troubleshoot across browsers. Ask which devices and browsers they have tested, and how any problems will be addressed before launch. But what happens when a software company releases a major update to their browser? These updates are usually minor and nothing to worry about, but over time there will be some fairly large reprogramming. This can leave your website almost unreadable with elements displaying all over the shop. In some cases functionality may also be affected, so check contact forms and other essential elements after significant changes.

6. Products or features are out of date

Businesses change and grow over the years. Fortunately, your online marketing can be changed without having to spend your entire budget on printing new media. You may have a range of products that you no longer sell, or perhaps have a whole new section to add. You may also have services that you no longer provide, or the focus of your business has now changed and you want to promote something new. If your web designer hasn’t included a CMS (Content Management System) then you are most likely going to need a professional to make these changes for you.

7. Your website is underperforming

If you aren’t getting the results you expected from your website, review the evidence before deciding what needs to change. Not everybody is web design savvy and it’s easy to be convinced by others that your website is great…even by your web designer! You may believe your site is functioning as it should be, yet some visitors may leave before finding what they need. This could be down to a number of reasons, such as dull and uninspiring design, or poor user interface making it near impossible to navigate.

Some of these problems can be avoided by choosing a designer with relevant experience and a clear process. Review their work, discuss your objectives and agree what testing, content support and maintenance are included. Price alone does not establish quality, and neither does location. A well-defined brief helps you compare proposals and understand what you are paying for.

For practical next steps, read our related guide to seven website improvements to consider.

If you would like to know what Dreamkatcha could do for your business website, to help increase traffic and revenue, contact us today via our website.