How Often Should You Redesign Your Website?

On average, companies redesign their website every 3 years. For some companies, budget and time play a big role in this, but how do you know it’s time to revamp? We encourage you to gather a few team members and take a look over your website… on your phone and computer. Here are a few things to look for when you’re thinking about redesigning your website.

It’s Not Mobile-Friendly

When was the last time you looked at your website from your phone? Most people only design for computer-based interaction, but we see a majority of customers coming from mobile devices. Tablets typically come in second, just before computers and TV.

This should shift our perspective a bit. Instead of focusing solely on the desktop experience, we must challenge ourselves to make the most mobile-friendly websites possible. If your mobile site isn’t cutting it, it could drastically affect your bottom line. In fact, Neil Patel found that 79% of users would not return to a website if they were dissatisfied with the site’s performance or the buying experience. Ouch.

Well-designed mobile sites:

• Load in 1.5 seconds or less
• Include properly formatted headers, text, buttons, and photos
• Are easily navigable and usable
• Include one or more direct calls-to-action on each page (form fills, purchases, or phone calls)

You’re Not Showing Up In Search

If your website is hindering your search placement, it’s time to think about a redesign. Many factors play into this including metadata (or lack thereof), loading time, image to HTML ratio, heading structure, and more. Google looks for clean, easy-to-scan websites with information that matches with the company’s Google My Business profile. The easier you make it for Google, the more likely you’ll come up first in search. Inserting important, popular keywords in your metadata is also a big help. For more tips on improving your SEO, read about the 3 things you can do to boost your search engine rankings.

Your Leads or Purchases Have Steadily Decreased or Plateaued

If you’re not showing up in search, it will undoubtedly affect your leads and purchases. After all, 67% of users stop scrolling after the first five listings on Google.

While SEO plays a vital role, other factors may attribute as well. We’ve found that these additional issues can halt leads and purchases on your site:

• The CTA is not easily found on the website
• Buttons, form fills, and call features do not work properly
• Your shipping costs are too high
• You have multiple, unmarked phone numbers on your website

Usability is profitability’s best friend. Fill out a form on your site. Try giving yourself a call or purchasing an item on mobile. What’s your experience like when you put yourself in your customers’ shoes? If the experience is subpar, it’s time to redesign your website.

It Cannot Integrate With Your CRM

Your site should serve you and your team. While all CRMs are not created equal, your website should easily integrate with your customer relationship management software. If not, you may want to take a step back and review.

Signs it’s your CRM:

• It’s hard to track leads/metrics, especially when integrating with Google Ads
• It’s difficult or impossible to customize forms or lead magnets
• It cannot easily integrate with email
• It’s hard to use in general
• Data from your CRM is misaligned with data from Analytics or the back-end of your website

Signs it’s your website:

• You’re not receiving forms or purchase notifications
• Your CRM integration is slowing down your website

If you’re in need of a trustworthy, easy-to-use CRM, we highly recommend SharpSpring. We’ve not only woven SharpSpring into our site but the fabric of our workdays. It’s easy to use and even easier to merge with your site.

Now, Grade Yourself!

When thinking about redesigning your website, you must think about your customers’ experience as well as your own. After comparing your site to this list, grade yourself on an A/B scale. Knock yourself down a grade-point if:

1. It’s been 3+ years since your last website revamp
2. Your site isn’t mobile-friendly
3. Your company isn’t showing up in the top 5 search results for important keywords (try specific keywords like “window tinting Newark, DE”)
4. You’re cringing at lack your lack of leads or purchases
5. You’re frustrated at the relationship between your website and CRM

If you passed with an A or B, think about making a few minor changes. If you’re in C, D, or F territory – give us a call. Every day your site goes without these changes, is another lead (or more) lost. Invest in your website and take the next step to create a website that both you and your customers will love.

At Xponent21, we create websites that convert users into recurring customers. We specialize in user experience and have created dozens of sites for a variety of clients across the world. We work with you to create a website that you and your customers love. Get in touch with us or check out our past projects to see how we can best serve you.

About the Author: Annie is an Account Strategist at Xponent21. She specializes in building out comprehensive marketing strategies for businesses including, website design, content development, SEO, and digital advertising.