Nothing is worse than realizing your website is a little outdated and needs some care. It's like hearing a rattling sound in your car while driving on the highway. You know something needs to be done, but it's a hassle to take the time to figure it out. Or you go to work and realize no one wears a suit and tie to the office anymore. 

It is essential to review your website a couple of times a year. It is, after all, your digital storefront - especially if you are in e-commerce. The home page is the first impression generated when a user enters your site. If you aren't sure if your website needs an update, gather some of your closest business associates and customers and ask that they give you an honest assessment. It's tough to hear, but their feedback may include some of the following elements:

Outdated content: The content on your website doesn't match your current product or service offerings. The photos don't portray the diversity of your customers or contain background elements that no longer exist, such as a rotary telephone, dated automobiles, or uniforms. There hasn't been a new blog post for more than a year.

Decrease in leads and sales: Online visitors are more likely to trust and buy from a well-designed website rather than a mediocre one. If phone calls and emails from potential customers have dried up, you need a new website.

Fewer visitors to your website: The number of people that are visiting your website has decreased. When you have fewer visitors, that's less opportunities for you to show a potential customer that you're a good fit to help them.

The website isn't mobile-friendly: In 2019, Google implemented mobile-first indexing best practices. This means it uses the mobile version of the content for index and ranking, whereas historically, the index used the desktop version. Most everyone accesses Google Search with a mobile device. Migrate your site to a mobile-friendly content management system. We use WordPress. 

Your website is slow: Your website is slow to load. The site should be loading in 2 seconds or less. If not, it turns potential customers away. No one has the patience to wait to read your content. 

Increase in negative reviews or feedback: If you're receiving bad reviews from your customers, pay attention to what they're saying. Have you received any feedback about your website not performing as a visitor hoped? Are they having issues with your website, or did they feel misled by something on the website that wasn't real after they purchased from you?

Poor user experience: Test your website as if you were a customer. What's the experience like? Are you receiving 404 errors? Is there a call to action on each page? Do you still use image carousels? If you can answer yes to one or all of these, you can bet your website offers a poor user experience. 

Remember, "you get only one chance to make a good first impression." And the first impression visitors have on your website can make a difference. If you don't know where to start with a website audit, we are here to help. Fill out the form below to get started!