10 Signs You Need To Update Your Website

Posted: 26/08/2014 11:40:41 AM. | By: Kev Seeley

If you've had your website for a while, then perhaps after the initial rush of enthusiasm, you haven't updated it as often as you would have liked, and it might have not have been given the attention it deserves, and now it looks stale and not as fresh as it used to.

Don't be upset or get angry with yourself - it's not your fault. Things move fast on the great inter-web and it's easy to take your eye off the ball when you are running a small business. We all know that right?

Take a deep breath and read on.

Here's why you might want to think about refreshing your website.

1. Your site just looks old.
   It might have been at the cutting edge of design several years ago, but like fashion, website trends change, and your site might not portray the right impression of your company anymore.
2. You might want or need new features on your website.
   If you want to sell online, or want to have additional forms, or want your visitors to be able to submit their own content, then you'll need to make the necessary changes to your website.
3. Your competitors sites look better than yours
   You'll want to make sure that other sites in your industry or sector are not stealing sales from you by having have better sites. If a competitor has launched a new site, or significantly updated their existing site, do you need to do something as well?
4. You now offer more products or services
   If you're selling more or different products, then you might need to update your website accordingly. Perhaps you'll want to offer more pre sales advice, or buying guides so that more visitors become customers. Maybe you're offering finance, or now need to meet other legal requirements.
5. You have no video content
   Video content is currently one of the fastest growing sectors on the internet. If you want to help your visitors and customers make the most of your products, or help them to choose the right model, then why not add videos to your website? You might also want your visitors to upload their own videos to your site.
6. Your online services don't match your company services
   What other news services could you offer your visitors? What sort of things will they be looking for? What else would make them more likely to buy, or likely to come back? Would a finance or area calculator be useful on your website? What about being able to book online?
7. Your content is out of date
   If your website has grown, and now you want to be able to manage it more easily, then perhaps you'll want a Content Management System, or CMS. This will make updating your site and adding new pages much easier, and mean that you can do it yourself without needing to ask your web design company to make any changes for you.
8. Your site has all the functionality of a Model T
   Perhaps you want to take advantage of new technology and web trends. Such as RSS or podcasts. What about improving your website design or functionality by using cascading style sheets, ASP.NET, or Javascript?
9. Your audience expectations have changed
   Maybe your target audience expects certain things from your industry, or sites selling the products you sell. If you're appealing to teenagers, then you'll want to make sure your site has the things that teenagers want, like sharing content with their friends via social media. If you're appealing to silver surfers, you'll want to reassure your visitors that it's safe to buy from you.
10. You have no social interaction features
    What about if you want to offer your visitors more than just products? Perhaps you might want to think about adding a blog, or testimonials, or product reviews, or allow visitors to post their own comments or recommendations.

Now you know more about why you might want to update your website, and what sort of things you can do, is now the time to think more about your website?

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