Signs you may need to move to a new website

No matter the industry in which you operate, your online presence will have a huge impact on how successful (or otherwise) you are. After all, most of your customers these days will check out your website before committing to buying anything from you, whether that’s a product or service.

A website showcases your digital brand, gives you credibility and is open 24/7. Indeed, some may even question your business’s very existence if you don’t have one.

Here are a few reasons why you may need to move to a new website:

1.) It’s no longer a fit with your brand
Do you believe your website accurately encapsulates and projects your brand? Do you actually like it? If the answer to either of these questions is no, it could well be time to move on. For most web users, good design, including attractive imagery plus clear navigation and layout, is a key part of the overall online experience.

And, by the way, your site will also be out of date if it looks somewhat text-heavy or ‘busy’; equally, bear in mind how rapidly trends in web design change. Additionally, Google is always altering the way it ranks websites, so if yours is struggling to make it in the search rankings and never seems to be on the front page of the likes of Google, it could well be time for an upgrade.

2.) Sluggish page-loading times
According to the website Blogging Wizard, the average page speed of a front-page Google result is 1.65 seconds, while if you can load in one second, the bounce rate is just 7%. And 82% of consumers say slow page speeds affect their buying decisions. So, if that applies to yours, you’re potentially losing customers. Put the problem right with a new, faster-loading version.

3.) Not mobile-friendly enough?
Your website should appear consistently across all devices in the same way and in the same amount of time. According to Statista, in November 2022, web page views from mobile phones accounted for almost half (47.78%) of UK web traffic, a figure which is only set to increase in the future. So, clearly, you can’t afford to miss out on orders because people can’t access your site in the way that best suits them.

4.) Poor website navigation
We’ve all visited a website offering a below-par user experience. These days, visitors to your site expect to find what they need immediately, with a smooth flow of information – no one likes navigation, which is horribly convoluted.

5.) You can’t edit your own content
If you need to pay an IT professional to update your web content every time you want to change it, that can be frustrating. Instead, upgrade to a new website with a different content management system and add all the fresh content yourself.

6.) No generation of leads or sales
One key role of your website is to generate leads and sales. If yours is not doing this, use Analytics to assess visitor numbers and their length of stay on each page. If the results aren’t what you want, it could be time for a change.

Additionally, check that you have an SSL Certificate—the padlock you see next to the URL at the top of a web page. This guarantees that you have a secure site with encrypted personal information, and a lack of one could be putting people off.

7.) Visitors are struggling to complete an action on your website
When someone lands on one of your web pages, is it clear what they need to do if they want to get in touch with you? Is it easy for them to make an enquiry, purchase, or sign up for a newsletter? Or do you have to jump through multiple hoops? Are your contact details given across all your web pages, with links to user-friendly contact forms?

Try interacting with your site from the viewpoint of a new customer – you may be surprised by what you find!

New website from SWSweb

At SWSweb, we design, build and develop WordPress websites for every shape and size of organisation, from straightforward single-page affairs to fully-fledged e-commerce stores. We’ll be with you from the initial design all the way through to hosting and beyond. And it’s this that sets us apart from our competitors.

If you think your site is overdue an upgrade, get in touch today to learn more about how we could transform your online presence with a new one.