Every business owner understands how important it is to have a professional presence on the web. Your website communicates who you are and what you do; it can also be a marketing tool to lure in potential clients through content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).
We’ve put together a list of questions you can ask yourself to determine if a new website (or a redesign of your current website) will be a good investment of time and resources for your business.
- Does your current website clearly convey the value that your business provides to customers?
Today’s consumers have an ever decreasing span of attention. Your website needs to capture their attention and engage them with your product or service from the moment they arrive. The home page needs to accomplish two main objectives: let the viewer know exactly what your company does; and interest them enough to want to learn more.
To test your current site, show it to two or three people who are not familiar with your company (Facebook can be a great way to do this) and ask them what they think you do. If they don’t come up with the right answer, it’s time for a new website.
- Does your website allow site visitors to place an order or easily contact you about your services?
If you sell products, site visitors should be able to easily buy them. If you sell services, potential customers should be able to contact you to learn more about them. If your site visitors can’t use your website in ways that allow them to become customers, it’s time for a new website.
(Less critical, but also important is your back end ability to track these conversions. Make sure that your website is designed in a way that allows you to identify site visitors who buy products or fill out a lead form. This will allow you to track the efficacy of your marketing spends down the road.)
- Does your current website have a content management system that allows you to easily make updates?
Modern websites are built on platforms like WordPress that come with robust content management systems. These allow you to easily add new products, update your content, or change out an image.
WordPress also offers a huge variety of plug-ins that can allow you to mange your search engine optimization (SEO), track your analytics, offer ecommerce, or pretty much anything else you can think of. If your website is still coded in HTML and CSS or is on an outdated platform, it’s time for a new website.
- Is your current website designed responsively to scale to mobile and tablet devices?
Today’s consumer uses a variety of devices to access the internet. Your website needs to not only look good, but also function easily across all devices so that you can effectively convert site visitors.
If you need more incentive to design your website responsively, Google recently updated their search algorithms to prioritize responsive websites in their search results. If your website is not responsive, it’s definitely time for a new website. Use this tool to check if your website is mobile ready.
- Is your website SEO optimized for the keywords your potential clients are using in their search?
Search optimization can be one of the most cost effective ways of reaching new customers. A potential customer who finds your website through organic search can cost significantly less than a site visitor acquired through paid channels.
In order to rank for the search terms you want, your website needs to be thoroughly optimized from the url structure to the page content. If your current website is not SEO-friendly, it’s time for a new website.
- Does your website have a blog?
A blog not only allows you to showcase your expertise, but it can be part of an extremely effective content marketing strategy driving traffic to your website from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and boosting your organic search rankings for key terms. If your current website doesn’t allow you to easily post new content to a blog, it’s time for a new website.
- Does your website allow you to embed videos?
Videos can significantly increase your website’s ability to convert site visitors into customers by clearly illustrating the benefits of your product or services. Additionally, videos have been shown to help raise organic search rankings for your website. If you’re currently unable to use video on your site, it’s time for a new website.
Your website is one of your most powerful tools to express your brand, your value proposition and communicate directly with potential clients about your business. A new website (or a refresh of the current site) can pay for itself in increased conversions, higher organic search rankings and the ability to use content marketing to lure potential customers to your site.
If you’re in the market for a new website, Wolfhaus Design offers cost-effective custom WordPress sites that will help your business grow. Learn more about Wolfhaus Design or get started with a free consultation.