There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The answer is not every six months or every two years because it varies from business to business. Whether it’s time to rebuild, refresh or redesign your site depends on your current website’s functionality, your business goals and economic considerations. There are a number of important key factors to think about when deciding if it is time for your business to refresh or rebuild your company website. Let’s talk about some of these:
When is the right time to rebuild your website?
A website rebuild means backend configuration to ensure your site is operating at its peak. There are a couple of reasons your business might need a rebuild. For example, if your current site doesn’t adapt to mobile device screens, a website rebuild is an immediate need. In today’s mobile-driven world, many of your site hits are coming from phones and tablets. If your site isn’t compatible with mobile devices, you could lose a large portion of your site’s visitors. Your website should have a responsive design, meaning the elements on your website respond to the screen size of the person viewing the page.
Another reason to rebuild would be if your site was originally built using Flash. Not only can Flash slow your site down, but Apple’s iPads and iPhones don’t support Flash. If your site takes too long to load, you need to reengineer the backend. Customers don’t put up with long waits anymore and will lose patience and leave if your site is too slow. Losing potential customers is a good reason to update your business website, as immediately as possible.
Why should you redesign the look of your website but not rebuild it?
A website redesign is changing the appearance of your website, whereas a rebuild is changing its functionality. Changing your site’s appearance could be an immediate need if your company has new brand standards that haven’t been converted to your website. Or, if your bounce rates are high and your conversion rates are low (meaning many potential customers visit your website but few become customers), a well-thought-out redesign can help. If your business has expanded to include new products and services, your site should be updated to include them. And of course, if your customers complain about your website—if it is outdated or does not offer the information customers are looking for—you should be planning a redesign.
Time for a website refresh
Website refreshing does not require the intensive labor of a rebuild or redesign. It can be perpetual. You can constantly be making simple changes and fixes to your website, often without hiring a programmer or designer. Anyone in your organization should be able to learn and use your content management system (CMS) to update your site. When your website doesn’t need any big changes like a rebuild or redesign, it can be evolving over time with simple refinements. This allows your customers to maintain the user experience they know and like.
Make sure your website is Secure!
With any changes you’re making to your website, don’t forget about security. If your site is not secure, Google is going to flag your website this year. To prevent this, you will need to get an SSL certificate for your website. Your customers want the peace of mind that the information they send you won’t be compromised. A client won’t send information on a website that has been flagged as not secure when they can instead use a competitor’s website that is secure. The SSL Certificate guards your website against cyber criminals hacking the information your clients have trusted you with. If you want a trusted brand, you should have a trusted website.
If you don’t have a website, make that your first step. When people want something these days, they often look online first. Make sure customers are able to find you and learn what you have to offer. Here are a few additional low-cost tips and simple strategies to get your marketing machine up and running.
How we can help
Your company’s website should be working for your business, attracting and informing customers quickly and concisely. If it’s not working as well for you as it could, it’s time for an update. Let us transform your website into its most functional and vibrant version. Contact us to discuss creating something great together.