7 Signs You Need a New Website for Your Business
Revised 9/22/2024
By Digital Web Chef Staff
The first and oldest web domain on the Internet is symbolics.com, founded in 1985. Even so, they updated their look and feel to keep up with modern search and user trends.
Web design might sometimes seem like an unnecessary expense for some small business owners. It's quite the opposite. User habits and Google search algorithms change regularly, so you're missing out on valuable traffic (and potential customers) if you're not consistently modernizing your website.
But how do you know when it's time to upgrade—or build your first site? Below, we highlight seven signs or reasons a small business needs a new website.
Read on to see if they apply to you!
1. You Still Don't Have a Website
Shockingly, many small businesses in America don't have a website at all.
It might be okay if your business is an independent gas station in a high-traffic area, but it poses a significant problem for anyone else. Without a website, you're missing out on many potential leads.
Thankfully, this is a problem that you can resolve quickly. There's never been a better time to access affordable website design. Today, websites are reasonable to host, cheap, quick to design, and easy to maintain—as long as you work with a savvy provider.
2. Your Current Website is Ugly or Outdated
The adage goes: Never judge a book by its cover. Well, that doesn't work so well regarding your online presence.
The primary objective of your website is to attract your ideal customer and engage visitors, encouraging them to interact with it in a way that serves the hosting entity's needs. This could involve making a purchase (for an e-commerce business), requesting a service quote (such as for a plumber or roofer), or scheduling an appointment (for a doctor's office). However, a study revealed that nearly 40% of visitors will leave a website if they find it unappealing.
So, if your website looks like it's from 2013 instead of 2023, it's time to invest in a website redesign—ASAP!
3. Your Website Is Not Mobile Friendly
You're probably glued to your smartphone. After all, the average user spends over 3 hours A DAY scrolling socials, websites, emails, podcasts, and more on their phone.
Suggesting your customers are doing the same thing is not a wild assertion. And you need to make sure your company website works great on a desktop and adapts to the smaller screens people now use.
And that's because nearly 60% of web traffic comes from a mobile device—a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Thankfully, most website builders today use responsive design technology, making it easy to adapt to this new reality.
4. You're Not Getting the Results You Expect From Your Site
You've nailed that all-important first impression. Your website looks great on mobile. Yet, you're still not attracting those all-important leads—at least, not as many as you'd hoped.
If your conversions are low, it could be because your website design isn't optimized to aid your customer's journey through your sales funnel. They might find you, but once they're on your site, they get lost in where to go or what to do next.
A redesign focusing on clear calls-to-action can help you achieve your conversion goals.
5. Business Is Slow, and Sales Are Stagnating
You've been running a real business for a long time, and your website used to help you a lot. People could find you and get in touch with you by calling or using the contact form on your website to ask about your services.
Today, those people just aren't coming. So what's going on?
Your website needs to be improved so that more people can find it. You should also include helpful information on your website that can teach visitors about things they care about and make them trust you.
6. You Have a High Bounce Rate
The bounce rate is the percentage of people who visit a website and then leave without clicking on anything else. It's like going to a store and then leaving right away without looking at anything else.
A high bounce rate is between 56% to 70% (or above). You can read this as your website does not have enough relevant content to keep visitors interested and exploring.
To remedy this, you need to upgrade your website so it offers people somewhere to go next at all stages of their experience.
7. Your Website Isn't Secure
If your website lacks security measures, it will be penalized in Google searches, making it difficult for people to find you. Moreover, visitors are unlikely to trust your site if they perceive it as unsafe.
Modern websites require at least an SSL certificate. This is a crucial trust signal for both visitors and Google. However, small businesses should consider upgrading to even more secure encryption, especially if they collect personal client data.
We Build Small Business Websites That Get Results
If you feel the need for a new website, trust your instincts. If they say "yes," you probably should have invested yesterday. If any of the points above resonate with you, it's time to invest in an upgrade.
Contact Digital Web Chef today to discuss your new website. We specialize in high-quality, affordable web solutions built for your ideal customer that are mobile-responsive, search engine optimized, and secure.
By Digital Web Chef Staff
The first and oldest web domain on the Internet is symbolics.com, founded in 1985. Even so, they updated their look and feel to keep up with modern search and user trends.
Web design might sometimes seem like an unnecessary expense for some small business owners. It's quite the opposite. User habits and Google search algorithms change regularly, so you're missing out on valuable traffic (and potential customers) if you're not consistently modernizing your website.
But how do you know when it's time to upgrade—or build your first site? Below, we highlight seven signs or reasons a small business needs a new website.
Read on to see if they apply to you!
1. You Still Don't Have a Website
Shockingly, many small businesses in America don't have a website at all.
It might be okay if your business is an independent gas station in a high-traffic area, but it poses a significant problem for anyone else. Without a website, you're missing out on many potential leads.
Thankfully, this is a problem that you can resolve quickly. There's never been a better time to access affordable website design. Today, websites are reasonable to host, cheap, quick to design, and easy to maintain—as long as you work with a savvy provider.
2. Your Current Website is Ugly or Outdated
The adage goes: Never judge a book by its cover. Well, that doesn't work so well regarding your online presence.
The primary objective of your website is to attract your ideal customer and engage visitors, encouraging them to interact with it in a way that serves the hosting entity's needs. This could involve making a purchase (for an e-commerce business), requesting a service quote (such as for a plumber or roofer), or scheduling an appointment (for a doctor's office). However, a study revealed that nearly 40% of visitors will leave a website if they find it unappealing.
So, if your website looks like it's from 2013 instead of 2023, it's time to invest in a website redesign—ASAP!
3. Your Website Is Not Mobile Friendly
You're probably glued to your smartphone. After all, the average user spends over 3 hours A DAY scrolling socials, websites, emails, podcasts, and more on their phone.
Suggesting your customers are doing the same thing is not a wild assertion. And you need to make sure your company website works great on a desktop and adapts to the smaller screens people now use.
And that's because nearly 60% of web traffic comes from a mobile device—a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Thankfully, most website builders today use responsive design technology, making it easy to adapt to this new reality.
4. You're Not Getting the Results You Expect From Your Site
You've nailed that all-important first impression. Your website looks great on mobile. Yet, you're still not attracting those all-important leads—at least, not as many as you'd hoped.
If your conversions are low, it could be because your website design isn't optimized to aid your customer's journey through your sales funnel. They might find you, but once they're on your site, they get lost in where to go or what to do next.
A redesign focusing on clear calls-to-action can help you achieve your conversion goals.
5. Business Is Slow, and Sales Are Stagnating
You've been running a real business for a long time, and your website used to help you a lot. People could find you and get in touch with you by calling or using the contact form on your website to ask about your services.
Today, those people just aren't coming. So what's going on?
Your website needs to be improved so that more people can find it. You should also include helpful information on your website that can teach visitors about things they care about and make them trust you.
6. You Have a High Bounce Rate
The bounce rate is the percentage of people who visit a website and then leave without clicking on anything else. It's like going to a store and then leaving right away without looking at anything else.
A high bounce rate is between 56% to 70% (or above). You can read this as your website does not have enough relevant content to keep visitors interested and exploring.
To remedy this, you need to upgrade your website so it offers people somewhere to go next at all stages of their experience.
7. Your Website Isn't Secure
If your website lacks security measures, it will be penalized in Google searches, making it difficult for people to find you. Moreover, visitors are unlikely to trust your site if they perceive it as unsafe.
Modern websites require at least an SSL certificate. This is a crucial trust signal for both visitors and Google. However, small businesses should consider upgrading to even more secure encryption, especially if they collect personal client data.
We Build Small Business Websites That Get Results
If you feel the need for a new website, trust your instincts. If they say "yes," you probably should have invested yesterday. If any of the points above resonate with you, it's time to invest in an upgrade.
Contact Digital Web Chef today to discuss your new website. We specialize in high-quality, affordable web solutions built for your ideal customer that are mobile-responsive, search engine optimized, and secure.