If your website is as old as that “Mix Tape” shown above, here are some suggestions on how you can update your site from GO-SEO, a leading

website design company.

Flying cars haven’t quite arrived, but there’s no denying the breakneck pace of change in the digital world. Websites that were cutting-edge just a few years ago can now feel clunky and outdated. So, how do you know if your website needs a makeover?  We’re here to help you answer that question!

Your site might need a refresh if:

• Your website is slow to load. In the age of instant gratification, nobody has time to wait for a website to slowly crawl to life. If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, you’re losing leads (and potential customers). Even worse, your site suffers when it comes to where your site ranks in the search engines.
• Sliders on your homepage are bad for several reasons. Large, full-width hero images are losing favor because they slow the loading speed, and hero sliders are problematic for SEO for multiple reasons beyond just page speed.
• Your website is mobile-unfriendly. With more and more people browsing the web on their smartphones and tablets, a mobile-friendly website is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. If your website doesn’t look and function well on small screens, you’re alienating a huge portion of your potential audience. And again, the search engines penalize sites that aren’t mobile friendly.
• Your website’s design is outdated. Trends in web design change quickly, and what was hot in 2019 might look downright embarrassing today. If your website features square corners, blocky elements, dated fonts, or no photos of yourself, it’s time for a refresh.
• Your website makes use of huge images.  Large, full-width hero images are losing favor.  Why? They slow the loading speed and because most visitors are using mobile devices, their usefulness as an impact-generating graphic is minimized.
• Your website isn’t converting visitors into customers. Your website should be driving traffic and leads for your business using SEO and lead magnets and then converting leads into customers. If it’s not doing this, you’ll need to re-vitis your funnels.
• Your website doesn’t include a Call-To-Action (CTA).  Today more than ever, email is a critical component in any business’ overall marketing strategy. Some examples of common CTAs include buy, add to cart, sign up, subscribe, download, etc. One example would be to think of the questions your business is asked repeatedly and create a PDF answering those questions that you can send them.
• And finally, your website fails a technical audit.  This is huge because your site could likely do better in the search engines if these technical issues were addressed. Read this post for guidance on doing your own technical audit of your site.

If your site suffers any of these items, then it’s time to seriously consider giving your website a makeover. But before you jump in and start designing, it’s important to take a step back and do some planning.

Things to consider before you start your website makeover

• What are your goals? What do you want your website to achieve? Do you want to generate more leads, increase sales, or build brand awareness? Once you know your goals, you can start to design a website that will help you achieve them.
• Who is your target audience? Who are you trying to reach with your website? Understanding your target audience will help you create a website that resonates with them.
• What is your budget? Website makeovers can range in price from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of the project.
• What is your timeline? How quickly do you need your new website to be up and running?

Once you’ve considered these factors, you can start to put together a plan for your website makeover. If you’re not sure where to start, a good

website design agency

can help you through the process.

A website makeover can be a great way to breathe new life into your business. By following these tips, you can make sure that your website is up-to-date, mobile-friendly, and converting visitors into customers.

In addition to the tips above, here are a few bonus trends to keep in mind for 2024 when it comes to website design:

• Bold colors and typography: Make a statement with eye-catching colors and oversized fonts. For inspiration visit the Adobe Color Lab site and also check out Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2024. Be sure to especially play around on the Adobe Color Lab site, it can help you come up with color “families” that will look fresh on your site.
• Microinteractions: Add subtle animations and hover effects to make your website more engaging.
• Custom illustrations and graphics: Ditch the stock photos and use custom visuals to tell your brand story.
• Focus on user experience (UX): Make sure your website is easy to navigate, use and provides excellent, engaging content. Research has shown that your visitors will give you about 4-5 seconds to quickly scan your site for what they’re after before hitting the ‘BACK’ button in their browser to move on to the next listing on the search page. Make them want to dig in.

By incorporating these trends, you can create a website that is both stylish and effective.

Happy designing!

Need help updating your website?

So you’ve decided your site needs a makeover but are short on time, patience or expertise to pull it off?  Whether you just need a full-blown redesign or just a few tweaks, we can help.  Contact us today for a free consultation!