10 Signs It’s Time for a Website Redesign

First impressions matter—especially in today’s crowded digital world. Research shows that the decision to leave or stay on a webpage can happen in just 50 milliseconds.

In other words, you have under a second to establish your site’s appeal in the eyes of your visitors. That’s a scary prospect, especially if your current website is looking a little lackluster.

But how can you tell when you should stick with your tried-and-true site, and when it’s time for a website redesign? Here’s what you should know.

Your Website Isn’t Responsive

Mobile traffic accounts for about half of all web traffic these days. In other words, having a website that responds well only to desktops or tablets leaves half of your potential visitors with a less-than-optimal experience. If you don’t have a site that’s responsive, or mobile-friendly, you might be losing great opportunities from users who dislike the fit and function of your site on their phones.

What’s more, if you’re trying to improve your traffic, it’s worth noting that Google does what’s known as mobile-first indexing. This means that the algorithm that ranks websites in the search engine results will consider how your site performs on a mobile device, not a desktop. Appealing to mobile users, then, can earn more customers and a higher ranking in the search results!

You Have a High Bounce Rate

Your website’s “bounce rate” is a measurement of how many visitors view just one page of your site before leaving. Higher bounce rates indicate that visitors may not be thrilled with the content, function, or performance of your website.

An average bounce rate hovers between 40-50%, while anything under this is excellent. If you’re seeing bounce rates of 60-70% or higher, it might be time to invest in a total website redesign.

You’re Still Using Flash

Adobe Flash may have once been the standard for designs and animation, but it’s on its way out. Adobe itself has canceled support for its once-popular Flash Player software, and for good reason: there are better modern alternatives with the shift to HTML5.

Beyond a lack of support, there are a few additional reasons to ditch the software. Flash makes it hard to update your website design, it has a slow load time, and it’s not always mobile-friendly. If your website still uses Flash, it’s time for an update.

You Have a Low Search Engine Ranking

Did you know that somewhere between 70 to 90% of searchers never move past the first page of Google? If your website falls on the second page or further, you may as well not be part of the competition.

A low search engine ranking can happen for a variety of reasons, but proper SEO—or search engine optimization—can help. SEO strategies help you boost traffic to your website organically by considering the factors that appeal to both site users and the search engine’s ranking algorithms. With web optimization as part of your site redesign, you’ll find it easier to increase your visibility.

Your Target Audience Has Evolved

As time passes, your brand may further develop its niche audience—but this change isn’t always reflected in your website itself. Whether you’re entering a new market or pivoting to attract more followers, it’s important to ensure that your site keeps up.

As a hub of information for your brand, your website needs to connect with your audience in terms of both content and design. After all, if your site doesn’t speak to your target audience, why should they keep engaging with you?

Your Website Has Broken or Outdated Elements

When your images and buttons are broken, your visitors may get the impression that your brand is outdated or unprofessional. Broken elements can lead to a high bounce rate, hurt your SEO strategies, and make it harder to get your audience to follow through on any calls-to-action you propose.

Worse, some outdated tools can provide a security risk for your customers. When you forget to improve and update the plugins and other software your users rely on, you can open your site up to bugs, data breaches, and other security risks—which can be terrible for your reputation.

The Load Time Is High

In today’s crowded digital marketplace, we have shorter attention spans than ever. In fact, most customers expect your site to load in two seconds or fewer—and that they’ll navigate away from your site if they wait too long.

High load times can send your bounce rate skyrocketing, and it can also decrease your visitor satisfaction in general. No matter what kind of web design you’re looking into, investing your efforts in a better load time is a great way to show your site’s value as soon as visitors click.

Your Business Is Growing

Business growth is a great problem to have, but it does bring a new set of challenges. One of these, of course, is making sure that your website is ready to work as hard as you are.

An ideal website will be well-structured even as you add new spaces, easy to navigate even with additional visitors, and designed to reflect your values and promote your brand. If your current website isn’t up to the job, you’ll need to work to transition it into something more usable.

You Don’t Like the Design

Do a quick gut check: do you honestly like your site’s current aesthetics? Despite the common aphorism, most people do judge a book by its cover—so if you dislike your site’s design, chances are that your visitors hate it too.

An aesthetically pleasing site can give off the professional, engaging appearance you want while adhering to modern website trends. Make your website as beautiful as it is functional for a breath of fresh air.

The Competition Does It Better

If you’re still on the fence, make your way to the websites of your biggest competitors.

Do they have intuitive navigation and stunning images? Is their site load time shorter than yours? Do they have sleek designs and modern page transitions?

You can bet that your potential visitors are checking out similar brands before making major decisions—which means that they’re looking at your competitors as well. If your site looks lackluster in comparison with others, it’s time for a change.

Ready for Your Website Redesign?

If your site has shown signs of even one of the red flags above, it’s time for a website redesign. With better SEO practices, a more appealing design, and a few technical tweaks, you can enhance your site’s effectiveness in no time.

Ready to bring your brand to the next level? Check out our other posts for additional insights on branding, marketing, and more!