In today’s digital world, especially during this time of pandemic, your website is the most important marketing tool you have. Prospective customers are always looking at your website and your stakeholders are using it as home-base. But with website technology updating by the second, it’s difficult to know when to stand pat with what you have, when to freshen up the site you’ve got, and when to rip the Band-Aid off and start over.
“It’s not good on-the-go.”
Google’s algorithm focuses on ensuring a good user experience. That’s why Google gives search preference to mobile-friendly sites and sites with all links intact. So if your site was not built on a responsive platform or is not mobile-friendly, this is a deal breaker. This is “drinking straight from the milk jug” bad. Considering that mobile represents more than half of all web traffic, this relationship is clearly unsalvageable. Break up. Well, that may not be possible but most definitely get your web design firm (or find a new one) to build you a mobile-friendly site immediately.
“It may be time for retirement.”
When you’re on the internet you see plenty of new sites that are catching your eye. But when you navigate back to your site, the disappointment is pronounced. Your site is not aging well. Whether your design firm used a look that didn’t hold up, the user interface is clunky or it’s slow to load, this relationship probably needs more than just a simple makeover. If it makes you feel any better, hop under the hood and check out your site’s Google Analytics. You may find that while the site doesn’t look as good as its peers on the surface, it could be performing admirably behind the scenes. At least this way, you can have some data to go with (or against) your gut feeling.
“Where is this going?”
In the beginning, your new site was a hit. Gorgeous design, clean navigation, video, and the latest bells and whistles the web has to offer. You and your web design firm crushed it. You even had the analytical numbers to prove it. But over the last few months something changed. Site traffic is down, engagement is flat and conversions are non-existent. In this scenario, it may not be the site itself that’s broken but the strategy behind it. Do you have a content marketing program designed to keep people coming back? Are all of your social media channels pointing to your site? And are your other online and offline marketing programs aligned to generate sustained results? If the answer is no, then it’s more of a marketing issue than one with the site build or architecture. In other words, this is one worth saving. It may just take some work with your marketing team to breathe new life into it.
So, now you have some info to mull over and some soul searching to do on whether you and your site are in this thing for the long haul or if it’s time to bail. For more insights on how to create a healthy relationship with your website, download our free eBook, The Website Wakeup Call. Or if you just want us to take a look at your current site and give you our impressions, contact us today.