Is it time to redesign your website?

YES, if:

Your website looks unprofessional and makes visitors question your organization’s authority.

Studies show that well-designed websites create a greater sense of trustworthiness in consumers. If a website looks credible, users are more likely to think the company behind the website also is credible.

Your company, service or product has changed.

If this is the case, it’s likely that the purpose of your site has changed, too. Companies evolve over time, so a website that is several years old might reflect an outdated version of your organization. Since it often is the first point of contact with your clients, your site should mirror your current status.

Your organization is rebranding and will have a new look and a new communications strategy.

Presenting your brand message consistently across all media is a marketing must, so carefully consider how the rebrand will be communicated – in both visual and written content – on your website.

Your competitor’s site meets users’ needs better than your site does.

Customer loyalty only goes so far, especially if it is easier and faster to use the other guy’s site.

Your site is not mobile friendly.

Users increasingly are spending more time on their smartphones and tablets. Reaching your customers where they are is no longer optional, which means your site must be optimized for mobile devices. Google also has made it clear that mobile-friendly sites have an advantage in search engine rankings.

Your site is too slow, uses outdated code or is built on an old content management system.

It’s not easy to keep up with technology, but if you wait too long, you’ll pay a heftier price in time and money to catch up.

NO, not if:

You’re just tired of looking at the “same old site.”

Customers don’t necessarily visit your site every day and won’t tire of the look as quickly as you might. Resist the temptation to jump on design trends, especially if they run counter to your brand’s aesthetic. You may be able to create a fresh look just by updating the images on your site (custom photography is much better than stock – but that’s another blog post!)

MAYBE, unless you can:

Tweak your current site to achieve your goals.

Things like starting a blog or better incorporating social media can usually be done with little disruption to the site you have now. If you want more traffic, try digital marketing strategies like SEO (search engine optimization) or PPC (pay-per-click advertising) before going all out on a redesign. Updating tools or functions on your site that don’t work well can be more efficient (and a lot less costly) than starting from scratch.