Is Your Website Due for a Redesign?

Like any form of technology, the internet is continually changing and updating. It’s therefore always worth checking if your website needs refreshing. But if someone was to ask you ‘Is your website due for a redesign?’, how would you know? There are several ways in which you can find out and we’ll tell you how….

Does your website have a high bounce rate?

One of the best ways to tell that your website might be due for a redesign, is its bounce rate. Put simply, your bounce rate is the rate at which users are leaving your website. For example, if a visitor clicks on a link to visit your website and then immediately leaves, that will count towards your ‘bounce rate’.

You can find the facts and figures about your website’s bounce rate on Google’s Analytics program. If you don’t have access to it, your web designer should; so ask them for more information, as this could be a key factor in whether your site needs a refresh.

Slow loading pages

One thing that could be affecting your site’s bounce rate is slow loading pages. With Google now prioritising websites that have high quality content and fast loading times, it’s more important than ever to provide exactly that. In fact, Google is now known to be ranking pages with faster loading times higher than their slower counterparts.

Quite simply, a fast website isn’t just good SEO practice. It also affects how users navigate around your site. The chances are, if a visitor encounters a slow loading page or website, they’re not going to stick around or come back in the future. While the speed of your site might not necessarily indicate a new redesign is required, it can be a contributing factor and certainly shouldn’t be ignored.

You can check the speed of your site by using the PageSpeed Insights tool. This will break down how quickly your site loads, both on desktop and on mobile device.

Technical errors

If your website features fast loading pages, but still has a high bounce rate, it could be down to hidden technical errors. If users are only sticking round for a few seconds, or there is one particular page that’s putting people off, it could be down to a 404 error.

The first thing you can do is take a look at your site from a visitor’s point of view. Navigate through the site and see if you can find anything that could be putting users off. It might also be worth using different browsers too; as this can sometimes be the problem.

Also, speak to your web design company. They will be able to use Google’s Search Console to check any crawl errors that may have been highlighted. If there are a lot of technical errors, it might well be worth having your website redesigned.

A poor user experience

This is a key reason why your site could have a high bounce rate. If you’ve been to a website that is full of pop-ups or doesn’t look polished, the chances are you left pretty quickly. Well, that is the same for your website too. If your website doesn’t look engaging and high quality, customers will leave very quickly.

Plus, Google will punish these sorts of website. Along with these distractions, users can also be put off by poor and unhelpful navigation. So make sure that your website’s navigation is easy to use, coherent and doesn’t take visitors to dead-ends. If your website isn’t easy to use, it could cause the user’s experience to drop significantly; meaning it’s time for a redesign.

Is your website responsive and mobile-friendly?

More and more internet users are now searching on their phones and tablets, rather than on desktop. In fact, studies have shown that nearly 60% of searches are now carried out on mobile devices. It’s therefore vital that your website is responsive and mobile friendly.

Responsive means that it will display correctly on whatever device the visitor is using; be it desktop, mobile or tablet. Essentially, it will alter its display parameters to correctly fit whatever size screen it is being viewed on. It will also make sure that your website’s links and buttons are easy enough to access via a mobile device and that landing pages accessible and easy to read.

Google has recently brought out a very easy-to-use tool that will very quickly tell you how well your website works on mobile devices. All you need to do is type in your website’s address and it will then tell you how quickly the site loads on mobile device, the estimated visitor loss and how it compares with your industry rivals. Visit Test My Site and try for yourself. If it shows very slow load times, then you may well need to have your website redesigned so that it’s responsive and ‘mobile friendly.’

Does your website look tired and outdated?

You know what it’s like; you buy a new car or a computer and it’s already depreciated in value within months. The same could be said with the internet. New technology comes out and then within months, companies are having to consider having new websites. If you remember some of the websites from the 90s, they were seen as innovative back then. But now, they are hardly enticing for the modern user. While that may be an extreme example, it’s certainly fair to say that the older the website, the less likely you are to generate business.

First impressions mean everything these days, and that includes websites. Not only will you lose credibility if you have an old-fashioned design, you’re likely to lose visitors and potential sales enquiries in the process. If you haven’t updated or refreshed your website recently, it may well be due for a redesign. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box too; it’s always worth trying a new look for your website and freshening it up can often work wonders.

If your website is more than five years old, it’s well in need of a revamp. The chances are that if it is that old, it won’t be responsive; which is an absolute must these days. It may seem daunting but updating and redesigning your website could make huge difference to your business. At the Smart Domain Group, we offer comprehensive web design packages, encompassing everything from design and copywriting to search engine optimisation, branding and email support. Contact us today to discuss your requirements with one of our helpful and friendly team.