Comprehensive Advice from Industry Experts
A website homepage is usually someone’s first impression of your business. When a viewer bounces off the page, you lose a sale. A website redesign from Forge Apollo can make a lasting impression that directly results in revenue growth. Our marketers specialize in generating quality leads, increasing organic traffic, decreasing bounce rate, and optimizing user experience by implementing advanced web development and design techniques.
Standing out from the crowd will keep the clicks coming. Robby Abbas is our talented Web Developer at Forge Apollo. He recently shared his thoughts about user experience and website redesign.
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How do you know if your company’s website needs a redesign? Usually, if it’s been more than three years since your last redesign, it might be time for an update. Here are some of the top signs it’s time for a website redesign:
1. Slow Page Load Speed
Seemingly endless buffering, freezing, and slow load speed are signs that you need a website redesign. This delay wastes time and causes viewers to lose interest. In most cases, a user will leave your website and find the information they need elsewhere more quickly. This can contribute to a high bounce rate which can severely impact SEO and negatively affect search authority.
Not sure if your website loads slow? Google offers a free tool – PageSpeed Insights – where you can test your website’s speed. Ideally, if your website scores below 70 on both desktop and mobile, it’s a clear sign you need a website redesign. It’s important to note that Google crawls your website on the mobile side first, so mobile speed should be a top priority.
2. Inadequate Accessibility
Digital.gov (formerly known as Usability.gov) establishes industry requirements and accessibility guidelines for creating web content. Accessible websites deliver their content through “multiple sensory channels and allow for additional means of site navigation and interactivity.” Features like voice-based navigation and keyboard-based control optimize information for users with limitations.
If a company doesn’t follow the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, they risk losing customers with impairments or disabilities. Additionally, a non-compliant business website can receive a hefty fine for inaccessible content.
Not sure whether your website is accessible? Contact Forge Apollo for a consultation.
3. Difficult to Navigate
Robby’s biggest pet peeve as a web developer is overly-complex navigation. “When a site’s navigation has too many items, not only does it look unpleasant, but a cluttered navigation makes it difficult for a user to find the information they are seeking.” If your website isn’t easy to navigate, users will immediately leave your website, contributing to a higher bounce rate and fewer conversions.
In addition, establishing an appropriate content hierarchy on a webpage is essential for streamlined website navigation. Viewers need to know where to look, what to read, and in what order. An organized, aesthetic page layout will guide the eye allowing consumers to find the information they need quickly and easily.
4. High Bounce Rate
If you manage to get website visits, but the user almost immediately clicks off, then something about your website needs attention. Take a deep dive into your website’s navigation and accessibility to ensure you’re doing what you can to keep the bounce rate as low as possible.
Several factors can contribute to a high bounce rate:
- Confusing layout
- Difficult navigation
- Unresponsive design
- Too much content
- Lack of content
- Content that lacks relevance
Explore your website’s latest Google Analytics data to understand the current bounce rate. If it’s more than 30%, your website needs a redesign.
5. Unresponsive Design – Not Mobile-Friendly
Website pages have evolved past simple text on a screen. Responsive website design incorporates dynamic features that adjust page layout according to screen size. This adaptation effectively keeps content from being squished or warped on the screen due to improper formatting. Not only will an unresponsive website design cause user frustration, but it can also increase bounce rates and hurt your website’s SEO.
6. Poor SEO
Even if your website looks great, it doesn’t mean it performs well for SEO. Web developers and copywriters must follow white hat practices to cater to search engines. Optimizing your website for search increases the likelihood of appearing in results, thus reaching a wider audience. Poor SEO can also result from technical errors and slow website speed – all due to poor development practices. When you hire Forge Apollo for a website redesign, we ensure your website looks amazing and is built with best-SEO practices in mind.
7. Outdated, Duplicate, or Poorly Written Content
One of the top questions you should ask yourself when determining whether you need a website redesign is, “how old is my website content?” Search engines prioritize websites with updated content. In addition, outdated website content is usually not accurate. This means that users who visit your website are not receiving the most up-to-date information about your business. Not only does this harm user experience, it also affects SEO.
In addition, if your website contains duplicate content (unoriginal content), search engines will penalize your website. Not sure if your website contains duplicate content? Try a free duplicate content checker or consult the experts at Forge Apollo. When you hire our Philadelphia digital marketing team for a website redesign, we analyze your website content to let you know if it’s outdated or duplicated and make recommendations for rewrites.
Lastly, it’s important that your website content is well written and follows marketing best practices. For example, make sure that your content helps guide visitors towards a CTA by touching on pain points and solutions your business offers to resolve these pain points.
8. Broken Links
Broken links on your website result in user frustration, error messages, and 404 pages. Simply put, broken links are lost business opportunities. Potential customers that experience errors while browsing your website will inevitably search for the desired information on a competitor’s website. Broken links can also contribute to poor SEO. Not sure if your website has broken links? Sign-up for an in-depth website audit to learn more.
9. Improper or Inaccurate Brand Representation
As the face of your business, your website should clearly portray your brand’s identity. Use your purpose and mission to tell a captivating story. Compelling storytelling helps build an emotional connection with viewers, ultimately increasing the likelihood of conversion. Users are more likely to become customers when they connect with your brand personally (think: alleviating pain points).
10. Difficulty Making Updates
Your marketing team should regularly update website content to ensure it’s up to date. However, if your website breaks every time you make an update, this is a clear sign you need a website redesign. Poor development practices often cause minor updates to break an entire website. When you hire Forge Apollo to redesign your website, we not only provide you with a beautiful new design but we rebuild the back-end to prevent future problems from occurring.
11. Poor Conversion Rates
The ultimate purpose of your website is to convert leads. A website with consistently low conversion rates is essentially pointless. Robby puts it this way: “You can spend all the ad money that you want to drive traffic to your website, but if you do not have a site that is designed to convert those users, that effort and that money will be wasted.” Conversion rates are a clear indicator of ROI regarding website design.
12. Unclear Calls-To-Action
Indecisive potential buyers must be explicitly told what steps to take next to avoid bouncing off the page. To achieve a conversion, the actions desired by your audience should be clear, concise, and unambiguous in the website copy.
Expert Website Design and Development Services Based in Philadelphia.
After reviewing the list above, it should be clear whether or not your business needs a website redesign. If your business happens to need a website redesign, Forge Apollo can help! Our website redesign process can include everything from providing a fresh look, rewriting content, and better optimizing for SEO, to incorporating custom videos and photos with aid from our video production team. Contact our Philadelphia marketing agency today to learn more.
