When is it time for a new website?

Your website is most likely your main source of lead generation; keeping it maintained and updated is the key to its success. But when is it time for a completely new website? Perhaps your current website isn’t performing as it once was or the design is looking tired and your conversions are down. An average rule of thumb for a website’s ‘shelf life’ is between 1.5 – 3 years, so if you’re around that mark then maybe it’s time to take the plunge.

Addressing the issues with your current site

Before you do anything, it’s really important to note the aspects you’re not happy with on your current website.  This will help you create a plan for your new website, or it might help you to solve the problems with your existing website, allowing you to get a bit more mileage out of your investment. The most common reasons clients approach us for a new website are:

• Low conversions
• Tired design
• High bounce rate
• Drop in search visibility
• Poor user experience

If you’re experiencing any of these problems, then your first port of call is looking into your current website analytics. You can read about the eight most important metrics in Google analytics here and how to access them. Some of these issues could be ironed out without the need for a new website.

Conversion rate optimisation

If a drop in conversions is your main issue, then consider putting some good heat mapping software like Crazy Egg onto your website, so you can see exactly how users are interacting with your content. You might notice users are clicking on something thinking it’s a button, but it actually isn’t - so make it a button! You might have traffic clicking to download a white paper at the bottom of your home page, so move it to the top! Being able to understand your website users’ experience is invaluable to making decisions about where to place calls to action and working out why people aren’t doing what you want them to do. Making simple changes could also improve your UX and lower your bounce rate.

Reduced website traffic

The online marketers biggest nightmare – a reduction in website traffic. This could potentially be one of the most difficult things to figure out given that nobody has a Google crystal ball and we’re all vulnerable to algorithm updates. The Daily Mail recently published a reported 40% drop in website traffic with the June 2019 update – scary stuff! If you’re regularly updating your website with fresh content (very important!) and you’ve a good internal/external linking structure and your maintaining it with some good SEO software like SEO PowerSuite, then maybe your problem lies in a poor user experience – as this is most certainly a very important ranking factor.

Taking the plunge

If your website design looks and feels old and you’re using old code, then it probably is the right time to kick start a new website project. Considering your website is your shop window, you want it to looks its best and a new design could be exactly what you need. If you’re on a budget and the cost of a new website just isn’t an option right now, then give your website a mini face lift by changing key areas like your home page and service pages - getting a refreshed look and feel at a fraction of the cost!

If you’re not sure whether you need a new website or not, give the team at Concept4 a call to chat through your options on 01282 612222.