Five signs your business website might need an update

When do you know if it’s time to update your existing website?

Having met with a handful of clients at the end of 2018 who were asking the same questions, I thought it was a great time to share five signs that your website may need to be updated.

Let's jump straight in...

Five signs your small business or organisation's website may need an update:

1. You’re not updating or using your website at least once a month

I get it - we’re all busy.

However, if your website is neglected or not being utilised by you to provide updates, information or generate leads - then it may be time to consider an update.

Every website serves a different purpose, so some may not need major updates on a regular basis, but if you’re not utilising your website for its potential then that’s a missed opportunity.

Visitors, and search engines, want to see a site is maintained or what's new, so it's important to keep things ticking along to benefit your business.

2. Your website doesn’t rank well on search engines

Exactly what ‘ranking well’ means is a complex topic, however - your website (and in turn your business) should be in the first few pages on search engines and appear professionally structured.

The homepage of your website should have your business name in the title, but also be optimised for keywords.

I often see business websites made with a website builder or from a template template don’t have a meta description.

This is the text underneath the heading in a search and if this isn’t provided, it probably won’t appear or a search engine may have to make it up based on other content; which may be incorrect.

It’s really hard to get that number one ranking for a popular or competitive keyword, but you should be giving your website every chance to do well so that visitors (aka potential customers or clients) can find you.

3. Your site isn't optimised for mobile or tablet views

I’m no “Google guru”, but if your website isn’t optimised in 2018 then you’re behind - and you’re probably being penalised for it.

What does optimised mean? It means it’s responsive on a mobile or tablet - that the text, images and content gets reformatted to be readable on devices. In short - that it’s not just the desktop version.

If you’re unsure if your website is mobile friendly, you can visit Google’s “Mobile Friendly Test” and see for yourself.

4. Your content is outdated, or it’s really hard to find

A lot of websites that I experience have some great content available - finding that content however, isn’t always easy or when you do it's often outdated.

Small businesses websites are also notorious for trying to cram as much information into one page, resulting in thousands upon thousands of words of text that isn't formatted in an easy to read way.

Making matters worse is to get to the content requires more than three clicks, and by this time your visitor has closed that tab and moved on.

If your content is out of date or doesn’t reflect your current services, then get in touch with your website developer about updating your site because it could be costing you business.

5. You’ve lost control of your website, or are afraid to embrace it

If you’re afraid to look at your website, then it may also be time to update.

I also often hear that a client can't update their own website because it’s gotten out of hand or their developer has gone AWOL.

Sometimes, work gets busy, but we believe it should never get out of hand.

The premise of Wakeford Digital was - and continues to be - always able to assist clients both establish a great looking website, but also keep it up to date. This is something I’m working hard to continually achieve, so it’s important to surround yourself with a good team of people who are on board to help.

Conclusion

Your business or organisation’s website should not only represent your brand - but be an opportunity to enhance it.

It shouldn't be something that you frown upon or are scared to look at.

It’s important to remember why you have a website and that each website has different goals and needs.

Through Wakeford Digital, I still strongly believe that a website should be the ‘home base’ for your business online - referred to from search engines, social media posts and providing a great experience for visitors.

If you feel like you tick a few of the signs above - then it's not a cause of concern, just a reminder of where your online presence should be.

Regaining control or confidence in your site also doesn't need to be a big or expensive step.

If this is you, then feel free to get in touch and we can approach an update or find a solution to get you back online.

- Dominic