The age-old question of every creative entrepreneur. “Do I need a new website?”
You know that your website is important or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. <<< It’s one of the only pieces of digital real estate your business has after all. But sometimes it isn’t clear if your website design is a problem or not.
BUT the fact that you’re read this blog is a good indication that you probably need a new website—so you’re definitely in the right place ;D
Because in this blog I’m going over why you need a new website.
You DIYed Your Current Website
Now I’m not like most designers—I usually recommend DIYing your website using templates instead of custom design. But the caveat to this? If you’re gonna DIY you need to start with a template.
Why I Recommend Website Templates
Now if you’ve already done the whole using a website template thing & have your offers all squared away then you can consider working with a design if you need a new website. <<< BUT if you’re newer in business or you’re still testing things out you need to stick with a website template.
Like a lot of business owners, if you DIYed your website when you first started your business it probably doesn’t have a strategic design. Your website is your best 24/7 marketing tool so you want to make sure it’s designed well to convert browsers into clients.
Your Website Loads Slow
Google will penalize your website if it’s slow. But your website visitors will also penalize you in the sense that they will leave your website if it’s slow—because no one has the time or patience for a slower-than-molasses website to load. <<< AND this will definitely impact your website SEO negatively.
Even if your website has a great design, if people are bouncing off of it faster than you can sing “bye-bye-bye”—they aren’t gonna see how great it looks because they’ve already left your website.
How to Reduce Your Website Bounce Rate
Now there are some things out of your control when it comes to website speed. BUT the biggest culprit of a slow website is having large image file sizes.
If your website is slow and you haven’t taken the time to compress your website imagery using a tool like TinyPNG—reupload your photos after doing so and see if it fixes the problem.
If that ^^^ doesn’t fix the problem then you probably need a new website builder in addition to a new website design.
You’re Getting Traffic to Your Website But No Conversions
If you’re getting people to land on your website but they aren’t converting—there are a couple of different things that could be the problem. <<< Most likely it’s a combo deal of the design + copywriting.
If your website design is ugly it won’t matter if your website copy is good—but on the flip side if your website design is beautiful but your copy is boring…well…that’s the problem.
BUT more often than not, I find that these two problems go hand in hand.
Your website copy should be written before you start designing—because the copy should dictate the design, not the other way around.
Why You Need to Write Your Website Copy Before Designing Your Website
You’ve Rebranded
If you’ve rebranded your business you may be able to get away with just a buff and polish on your current website and don’t necessarily need a new website. BUT if you take a scroll through your website and find that it’s not up to par with your brand new sparkly brand design—you need a new website.
You’re Offering a New Product or Service
If you’re planning on offering a new product or service, you’re gonna need a new page for that offer on your website (duh). BUT if it’s not too far left field you may not have to update the whole thing. <<< Unless you want to update your website design of course ;P
You Just Want a Fresh Look
If it’s been a few years since you last updated your website design—it might just be time for a fresh new look. <<< After all, there’s no shame in wanting an upgrade!
Did You Like This Blog Post?
If So, Make Sure to Pin it on Pinterest!
