Professionally developed websites are a powerful tool that any business can use to connect with customers. There are many build-your-own website services out there, however, the quality of the website still depends on your copyrighting and graphic design skills.
Your website is your front door in today’s world and it is usually the first interaction a customer will have with your organization.
A professional website design can convert a random browser into a loyal customer. Nevertheless, some businesses still hesitate with the idea of paying for professional website design services.
Below we offer eight circumstances that may require your to leave your website design and development in the hands of an expert.
1. Your Website Design is Outdated
It’s easy for websites, or any other tech for that matter, to become outdated. Designs are always changing as new mediums are introduced and trends evolve. Professional website designers are constantly keeping up with current technology.
This issue becomes worse when nobody is paying attention to the website. Face it, business owners have a business to run. They don’t have time to brush up on technology and design trends – that are changing daily.
How can I tell if my website design is outdated?
- High bounce rate
- Current design is older than 18 months
- Outdated technology causing errors
How do I fix it?
You’ll need to do an analysis to see how out-of-date the site really is.
It could just be a slight issue, like mobile responsiveness. Or the issue might be more intrinsic and you’ll need to revise the content, architecture, and perhaps even the software used to build the site.
Regardless of your issue, contact us today for a free consultation.
2. Poor Website Architecture
An outdated and unmaintained website can be a major problem. So to can be having a beautiful site that’s too difficult to use.
There are many ways in which users may struggle to use a website. The navigation mechanisms are cluttered and confusing. The user journey is complex and leads to road blocks. There are too many Call’s to Actions (CTAs) present. Or the content isn’t formatted for easy readability.
How can I tell if my website design has poor architecture?
- Short 'Time-On-Page' numbers
- High impression numbers with a low click through rate
- No conversions or leads generated
How do I fix it?
You’ll need to use Google Analytics to see what’s happening in terms of activity on your site. You could also solicit loyal customers for feedback.
Once you’ve developed some theories, it may be time to take it back to basics and focus on restructuring with current best website design practices in mind. If the User Interface (UI) doesn’t utilize a good, predictable layout with proper balance of components, users will assuredly struggle to understand it.
Of course, hour23design has a Master’s Certification in Google Analytics and we would love to help.
3. You are Rebranding
It’s common for businesses to rebrand. Technologies change and if you aren’t keeping up with the times you will get left behind. Perhaps it’s because your content is longer relevant to your target audience. Or, you found a better segment of users to target.
When a company’s aim, purpose, or message has pivoted, then a rebrand is absolutely in order. Contacting a professional website design can help when handling the latest technologies and copyrighting efforts.
Why should I redesign my website during a rebranding ?
- Logo changes no longer reflect mission
- Images are inaccurate
- Company's messaging has changed
How do I fix it?
This can be as easy as creating new branding (i.e. logo, colors, etc.). Then, of course, you need to make sure to update the web design theme in the process.
If it’s more than just the look of the brand that’s being modified, you’ll need to engage this as a full redesign of the website and messaging.
Hey, did I mention we do logo design too?
4. Errors / Bugs
All websites will encounter an error or bug in their lifetime. This is not exclusive to poorly made or designed sites.
It can happen when software has not been updated or is no longer supported. It can happen if you setup a page redirect incorrectly and send your users into an endless loop of redirection.
How will I know if I am having these issues?
- Sections of your site will have no traffic
- Leads have dried up
- Direct messages from your site contact forms will stop
How do I fix it?
Security and privacy issues. Links being served a 404 error. Broken links. Missing images. There are a lot of technical issues that can turn visitors off.
The best way to find issues is to do a website audit. Spend time reviewing every possible element of the site, test all buttons, links and forms, etc. You can then fix the issues as you encounter them.
Do you have the time to parse all of your web pages for errors and bugs? If so, that’s great. If you are like most successful business owners, you don’t. Contact us to assist you in performing a website audit.
5. Not Responsive Website Design (Mobile-Friendly)
Unless you’re dealing with a really old website that no one’s touched in years, you’re not likely to encounter a website that makes visitors pinch-to-zoom and requires a total redesign.
Instead, you’re going to find mobile responsive websites that have components that are buggy or render poorly on some devices. These can easily be remedied with a minor redesign and cleanup.
How will I know if I am having these issues?
- If integrated, Google Search Console will sending 'mobile usability' notices
- Users notifying you of usability issues
- Page load speed is significantly slower on mobile versus desktop
How do I fix it?
If Google Search Console detects mobile usability issues you can begin your audit there. Usually, you’ll see errors related to elements being too close together or being cut off.
However, nothing beats doing an audit yourself. So, if you identified mobile responsiveness as an issue, take the time to comb through every segment of your site to see if there are other instances causing your responsiveness problems. Or of course, you could hire us to perform these tasks for you.
6. Clients are Envious of Your Competitor's Site
Every brand wants to be the best. Redesigning your website is a way to present a fresh face of your company.
Fortunately, redesigning a website is much easier than, say, having to reconfigure one’s entire business model or completely rebranding.
It will still take some time to figure out what’s at the root of your client’s envy and how you can redesign the website so that they are proud of it again.
How will I know if I am having these issues?
- Referrals from users asking if you can create something similar to a competitor's website
- Despite having comparable content, your competition is getting more traffic
How do I fix it?
If data shows that the competitor’s site really does outperform yours — then a redesign is definitely in order.
You want to undertake this type of redesign in small chunks. Unless you know exactly what makes the competitor’s website perform better than yours, it’s much smarter and more economical to make small changes rather than completely overhauling your website.
7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Websites don’t exist just to put a digital face to a brand. They can also be very powerful sales and marketing tools when they’re optimized for search engines.
And that’s what you might be faced with right now. Either your website is lacking an SEO strategy and features or they want to take it to the next level.
How will I know if I am having these issues?
- The website has a blog, but no one visits it
- Organic traffic to the website is non-existent
How do I fix it?
SEO is one of the most important factors in an online marketing strategy.
But you can’t just look at this as to how you’re going to add or enhance the sales and marketing features. Consider how you can affect things like the navigation structure and homepage content.
You will likely have to add new features to the site and have to adjust the rest of the design to give them more visibility.
As mentioned, at hour23design we have a Master’s Certification in Google Analytics. We know SEO.
8. eCommerce with Seasonal Changes
If you run an ecommerce website, this is something you should consider part of the work you do frequently and should be discussed in the initial website proposal stage. At this point you can discuss keeping a designer on retainer for future renovations.
How do I know that I need frequent redesigns?
- Data reveals that website activity and revenue pick up around the same time each year, on in anticipation of a holiday or specific season.
How do I fix it?
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of an effective online presence for companies. E-commerce has become an essential service, and you need the support of a professional website developer to ensure you deliver the best possible service to your customers.
Paying for a professional website design might feel like a significant investment at first, but it will pay for itself in the long run. With a well-designed website, you can showcase your brand’s best qualities, while separating yourself from your competitors.
If you are considering hiring a web designer for your website need —talk to the team at hour23design. We do website design, graphic design, branding, content marketing and SEO optimization. Contact us today for a free consultation.
