The world of web design and digital marketing is constantly evolving. Your business’ ability to change with the times and stay up to date directly relates to how visible it is online. Knowing when to update your website is incredibly important these days, and there are many reasons why you might want to consider it. Here are the top seven:
7 Reasons to Update Your Website
Robyn Rivera
7 Reasons It’s Time to Update Your Website Design
#1. Content management systems make it easy to do it yourself.
Updating your website is a lot easier — and a lot more affordable — when you don’t have to rely on a professional designer to do so. Content management systems (CMS), like Websites 360®, make it easy for anyone to build and update their websites, even if they don’t have design experience. With a DIY website builder, you don’t have to spend time dealing with a developer. Instead, you can use new, affordable tools to do it yourself.
#2. Provide a better experience for mobile users.
Mobile use is so dominant today that if your website isn’t mobile responsive, you’re at a huge competitive disadvantage. The bottom line is, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re not going to be able to provide an acceptable experience for most of your visitors, and your bounce rates, and subsequently your online visibility, will suffer because of it. Mobile responsiveness is default on most design templates today, so it’s vital to have this technology in place.
#3. There are a ton of affordable design templates available.
As they eliminate the need to work with an expensive developer, pre-designed templates on a CMS are a huge money saver in the web design process. With the right website template, you can have a professional, elegant website design done in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of a custom design. With so many incredible templates out there to choose from, cost is no longer a barrier to having an excellent business website.
Make sure that any website template you choose is responsive, customizable, user-friendly, SEO-friendly, and mobile-friendly. Check out my previous blog to learn more about how to choose the right design template for your website.
#4. Websites age quickly.
As I mentioned, change is the one constant when it comes to website design, which means that website designs and technology become outdated faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Similar to dog years, a single year for a website is more like seven.
Some things, like wine, get better with age, but websites are not one of those things. In order to continue to meet user expectations and maintain online visibility, businesses need to be able to update their designs frequently and change with advances in technology. You can’t do that with an outdated, static website platform.
#5. Provide a better and more secure user experience.
Establishing trust is paramount for any business online, especially right now, and a business website must make an impression that builds trust. For eCommerce, people need to feel safe giving you their credit card information, and for local, service-based businesses, people need to be confident in your advice and expertise.
If you have a shoddy, outdated website, you run the risk of destroying your ability to build that trust, as well as the risk of creating a poor first impression of your business online. A professional, modern site with effective content is essential for building trust and, therefore, driving conversions.
#6. Streamline the process of creating and sharing content.
Modern CMS platforms are key for effective content marketing, making it easy to update content, create blogs, and embed videos. These platforms also offer businesses the tools they need to share the content they create on social media, making each blog, page, and video go even farther.
Businesses that want to be visible in the organic search results need to have the ability to publish new content on a regular basis. With CMS tools, you’ll save time while also building your brand on social media. If your current website doesn’t offer these kinds of tools, it’s time to consider upgrading.
#7. Modern websites are designed to respond to data.
In this day and age, even small details can make a big difference in how effective your website and digital marketing strategy are, and businesses need to be able to respond to data. This gives businesses the information they need to create more effective headlines, calls to actions, and offers.
With the help of user-friendly website builders, businesses and marketers are able to create and refine every aspect of their site to achieve the highest results. When used effectively, the data you get from A/B testing can make a huge difference in how competitive your business is online.
Update your website with Websites 360 today!
In order to compete online — which is more important than ever before in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic — every business needs a modern, up-to-date website. If your website is outdated, or if you don’t have a website to begin with, there’s no time like the present to start building one.
With schools, restaurants, and brick and mortar retail stores temporarily closing to in-person business, there’s more opportunity online than ever before. But, here’s the thing. If you want to take advantage of that opportunity, you need an effective digital marketing strategy, and that isn’t easy to do without a website.
If you’ve found yourself with a little more time on your hands than usual during the coronavirus closures, don’t sit on your hands. Instead, take the opportunity to build a website for your business. Get started by choosing the right design template for your needs!