Company websites are a lot like cars. You can get a lot of mileage out of a good car, but, eventually, it’s going to be time for a refresh. But how do you know when it’s time to take the plunge and invest in a new website design?
Unlike cars, your website probably won’t just stop working out of the blue one day. However, there are a lot of signs to look for that signal you might need a new one. In this article, we’ll go over all of these signs to help you decide if revamping your company website is necessary.
Signs Your Website Has Seen Better Days
If you’re unsure whether or not your website is performing like it should, here are the signs that it’s probably time for a redesign:
- Slow Loading Speed
Modern websites are designed to perform a lot better than older ones, and people browsing the web have come to expect near-instant loading times. If the pages on your website are slow to load, most people are going to exit the page.
A good page load time is between 0-2 seconds. Anything greater than 3 seconds drastically increases the likelihood of visitors leaving your site. You can use a tool such as Google Page Speed Insights to see how fast the pages on your website load. If they’re too slow, it may be time for a new website (or at least some page speed optimizations).
- Outdated or Unprofessional Design
If your company website looks like it was designed in the early 2000s, it’s probably not going to inspire a lot of confidence in your brand. By the same token, if you’re using a generic, template design for your site, visitors are going to notice. It won’t always drive them away from your company, as things like compelling offers and content can sometimes make up for a poor design, but it doesn’t help.
Unlike things such as page speed, there’s no easy, quantifiable way to tell if a website’s design isn’t hitting the mark. But most of the time it’s clear just by looking at it. If you feel that your website doesn’t look as professional or modern as the ones your competitors are using, you can bet that potential clients are forming the same opinion.
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- High Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is one of the best metrics you can use to evaluate what visitors think of your website. This metric is a measure of how many people navigate away from your website after viewing only a single page. If you have a high bounce rate (commonly defined as 55% or higher), it means that, for whatever reason, your website isn’t capturing interest and encouraging visitors to stick around.
There are a lot of different things that can cause a high bounce rate. Pages that are slow to load are one of the most common issues, but an off-putting design or poorly written content can cause visitors to leave early as well. Whatever the underlying issue might be, a high bounce rate is a strong indicator that your company website needs attention.
- Security Concerns
Website security is more important now than ever before. Today, hackers no longer exclusively target large enterprises, and companies of all sizes are now in the crosshairs.
Far too often, website owners don’t discover that their security is lacking until disaster has already struck. That’s why it’s important to perform regular audits and ensure that your security measures are up to modern standards. If they’re not, then that’s a very good reason to invest in a new website.
- Low Conversion Rates
The ultimate purpose of a company website is to convert visitors into paying clients (or at least collect their information and convert them into leads). If your website’s conversion rates aren’t what you’d like them to be, a redesign could help.
There are a lot of different factors that have an impact when it comes to determining how well a website converts its visitors. Things like performance and load times, an appealing design, and compelling content all play an important role. By taking a hard look at all of these elements, you can potentially start generating a lot more business for your company.
- Poor SEO
You can have an amazing website that leaves everyone who visits it interested in doing business with your company, but if no one ever finds it, then it’s not going to offer much value. Optimizing your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is by far the best way to drive more traffic to it. But good SEO requires a combination of factors, including optimized content, strong security, and a responsive design.
Try Googling the search terms that you want your website to appear for—the ones your potential clients are going to be searching for. If your website isn’t anywhere near the top of the results, not many others are going to find it. Redesigning your website with a focus on SEO, however, can potentially change that.
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- Your Company Has Evolved
Sometimes it isn’t an issue with your website itself that dictates the need for a revamp but rather changes to your company. For example, if you’ve begun offering new products or services, undergone a rebrand, or changed your company’s messaging, your website needs to reflect that.
For many people, your company website will be the primary way that they learn more about your brand. If for whatever reason your website no longer reflects the current state of your company, it’s worth investing in a website redesign.
How to Optimize Your Website for Success
As you can probably tell from this list, there are a lot of different things that go into creating an effective website. From smooth performance to an eye-catching design to compelling, SEO-friendly content, your website needs to check a lot of boxes if it’s going to live up to its full potential. That’s why it’s important to work with a professional web design service when designing (or redesigning) your company website.
At TitleTap, we offer specialized web design services that are specifically geared toward title companies and law firms. If you’re seeing signs that your company website is in need of revamp, we can help turn it into one that’s optimized for real results. Contact us today to learn more about our industry-leading web design services!