Websites can be a significant investment, so you want to get the most use out of them as possible. Because of this aversion to a new expense, businesses tend to avoid refreshing or re-doing a website for far longer than they should.
Perhaps you have an aging website and aren’t sure when is the right time to tackle a large undertaking like a new website.
Here are three signs it’s time for a new website:
- You Bring Caveats With Your URL
- Updates Require Degree Rocket Science
- It’s No Longer Competitive
You Bring Caveats With Your URL
If you are sending someone to your website and you find yourself warning them that:
- It isn’t up to date.
- It’s ugly.
- It doesn’t send emails when you use the contact form.
- You’re just too busy to update it, so sorry.
- It was cutting edge when it came out!
- Fill in the blank.
It is probably time to update it.
It sends the wrong signal when the first thing you have to give someone is a reason to judge your presence in the world critically. Websites are your digital front door, sign, and awning – make it look nice.
We used to have this problem ourselves. For the first four years of The Sky Floor, our website was a rotating bit of text and an email link. After a while, it became apparent that we needed to do more to present ourselves to the world online. The reality is, we were doing just fine and getting plenty of business, so it felt like we didn’t need a complete website. But when we updated our website, way more growth followed. Don’t settle for simply okay!
Constantly appending caveats about your website to new prospects is a sure sign it is time to update it.
Updates Require Degree Rocket Science
If you need a literal background in rocket science to update your website, it is time to get a new one.
Technology is constantly shifting, and even though you need a professional to create a genuinely competitive website, you should be able to update it without fear of breaking it or making it unsightly.
If you aren’t happy with the appearance of updates you make or are afraid of breaking your website by updating content or core plugins, it is probably time for a new website.
It’s No Longer Competitive
You know your competition.
Like, when your biggest competitor makes a big move, you notice.
I don’t believe that most marketplaces are zero-sum games; there is plenty of business to go around and grow into. Even if there isn’t a finite pie all the slices are coming from, you must be competitive. When your competition has updated their websites, and you are left behind, it will help them and hurt you.
Our culture can tend to be very driven by the book’s cover and not the contents – don’t fight it. Use the chance to update to stay in the mix and capture the attention of the audience. Sharpen your website content and appearance until it shows who you truly are.
If a buyer chooses between two businesses and one has an updated, user-friendly, benefit-oriented website, they will likely pick it over a company with an outdated website.
Every slight advantage adds up to consistent growth in your business, don’t let your website hold you back!
If you resonate with any of the above reasons and seek professional guidance on your next step with your website, get started here with a free 30-minute consultation with The Sky Floor about your digital presence.
