Topic:
HubSpot,
Sales Tips
(4 Minute Read)
Are you the proud owner of a perfect website? Do you have seamless paths to conversion, with flawless and coherent branding? Do your page load times make you weep tears of joy? Thought not. More likely those ducts emit rather more despondent tears, and you've been desperately scratching at your budget spreadsheet for as long as you can remember, trying to find some wriggle room for a website re-design.
Relax and rest those over-worked nails. Read on for our reasons why you need a new website – and how to convince your boss.
It's been over a year since Google introduced its changes to mobile search results, soooooo probably time to get with the program then, eh? Mobile friendliness is now among Google's top SEO 2016 ranking factors, and if that isn't enough to stir you into action, think of the fork-palming anxiety you experienced the last time you navigated through a non-responsive site. Need further convincing? Check out some cautionary tales and stats and then get busy with some guidance from the don't-be-evilers themselves.
Ever been told you're 99% bad at something, or that your presence constitutes a usability disease? A report from the Neilsen Norman Group in 2000 stated exactly this of the use of Flash in web development. Adding insult to injury, Flash is also hugely inaccessible, presents significant obstacles to SEOs and has serious security flaws. What a winner.
Handle this particular instance with sensitivity, for obvious reasons. Seemingly, one in five businesses house a member of senior management with a nephew studying some-sort-of-design. Said student is only too happy to help revamp your site for her/his end of year project. Trouble is, when the classes on website novelty bells-and-whistles were happening, niece/nephew was in the front row. They were notably absent, however, for those offering guidance on design for marketing goals, or similar. Your website's primary goal should be to attract and engage visitors, not to serve as a 'look at what I made, mum' platform.
Further to the above, take a look at your conversion rate optimisation strategy. Does your site lead prospective customers intuitively and decisively through a sales journey? Does it take barriers to sale and wrestle them mercilessly to the floor? No? Fix it.
If your site is one massive digital diatribe about your company and its shining lights, you need a new approach. Your visitors are on a mission to solve their own problems. While they'll be encouraged by mention of your awards and accreditations, values and beliefs, keep this information at a respectable ratio to the 'what we can do for you, Mr Prospective Customer' type content.
This issue might not constitute an entire redesign - perhaps you just need to optimise the bejesus out of it or look into your hosting provider if it's an issue with Time To First Byte. Check out these page speed tools from Google to see what you can sort yourself.
As above, not necessarily a reason for a complete overhaul, but absolutely a clarion call to get your SEO shizzle in order.
With fantastically easy-to-use content management systems (CMS) like WordPress available, you don't need a site that takes someone with considerable tech nous to update. It'd also be worth questioning why your developer recommended this route to your business. If you're considering using them again, check your web developer isn't ripping you off.
If it looks tired and saggy to you, chances are it's unlikely to inspire new or returning visitors. Sometimes all it takes are a few well-considered fixes; better imagery, sharper call to actions or a realistic, data-led review of the sales funnel (get started with these 3 Google Analytics reports to tempt your boss). But sometimes, you just need to sack it off and start again with a whole new web design project. Perhaps your target market, or your offering has changed and you need to recalibrate. Perhaps your pool of competitors has increased, and they're all wearing cooler swimming costumes than you. Either way, it's time to get it sorted.
If you - a clever and sophisticated web user - think the design is rubbish, then so do most of your visitors. 'Nuff said.
It might be an easy fix if your web traffic has dropped off a cliff - but it might be something more fundamental. If your website's ranking is gradually dropping in the search results, it could be due to old / obsolete / vunerable code. If your Google Analytics is showing that your traffic is OK but your sales or sales leads are dropping, then you probably need a new website or at least a major overhaul to address the issues of its inability to help you win new business.
CONCLUSION:
Unless your boss is a total Luddite monster (and if the answer is in the affirmative, it's perhaps time to jump on the jobseeker wagon) a pick 'n' mix of the above symptoms should be more than enough to convince her or him to take some of that executive airport lounge budget and whack it into acquiring some customers instead.
And while you wait for the sign-off from the purse string holders, why not check out our FREE download for 25 website must haves to drive traffic, sales and leads...
Founder and Technical Director of Noisy Little Monkey, Jon blogs about SEO and digital marketing strategy.
