A poor user experience
One of the key goals behind website design is to make the website likable, which means the user experience needs to be great. If that’s not the case, don’t be surprised you aren’t getting or retaining too many visitors.
What we create can often be very different from what customers expect from us. It’s very important for designers to factors this in. You have work with a design from a user’s perspective; not a designer’s perspective. So, put yourself in the user’s shoes and see what they would like.
One of the best ways to identify issues with usability is to simply talk to your visitors. Create a focus group and have a conversation with them. Find out what it is they have an issue with and what they would like to see change or improve.
Analytics can also come in handy when it comes to accumulating quantitative information. For instance, you can observe exit points and bounce rates. Now, combine this with targeted market research plus user surveys, and you’ve got some actual data to work with.
Once you identify the barriers, it becomes easier to see what kind of changes are necessary and why.
It doesn’t reflect your brand
This is something that older businesses tend to experience. One day you’re the new kid in town, and soon enough, you’re a leader in your industry. Obviously, you go through plenty of changes between, as a brand.
Your values are different. Your goals are probably different. In fact, you’re probably just different as an organization now. So, if you haven’t updated your website to adapt to this change, you’re going to have a tough time.
When websites don’t reflect the brands they represent, users may have a hard time relating. They must be in line with the respective organization’s real-world identity.
Your website is a powerful branding tool, and it plays a key role in elevating your business’s status. So, promote it accordingly. It’s already 2018, and the average user is far more internet savvy than he/she used to be. So, you can’t get away with the “just a website” attitude.
Not in line with your marketing strategy
What you did a few years ago to attract enquiries might have been completely different from what you are doing today. This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the fact that businesses do change. However, the question here is – has your website been updated to accommodate those changes?
There are several components in your website that can play spoilsport and ruin your marketing efforts. It can be something as simple as an ineffective CTA (Call to Action) or even a CMS (Content Management System) that is outdated.
Of course, you can make superficial alterations to “stay in touch” with the times, but that’s not a good move if you’re looking for something more long-term.
If your current strategy is significantly different from what you were doing before, your website has to evolve to accommodate the current strategy.
Your website isn’t designed for the customer
Is your website self-serving? You might find that to be an odd question, but, trust us, it’s more valid than you think. Plenty of corporate/business websites tend to focus too much on the organization. You have websites discussing company topics and even highlighting company milestones, which doesn’t make sense because websites are primarily for customers.
Your customers aren’t too concerned about how you’ve grown as an organization. What they are interested in is what you can offer, i.e. your products and services. Your website has to provide the customer with value.
Of course, it can be hard to determine whether or not your website resonates with your customers. It is never really easy to see what a customer expects or wants. So, you might want to take a look at the message you’re sending to your customer.
Find out how you can be clearer with your communication.
Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
Let’s face it – the world is mobile now. So, if your website isn’t responsive, you are going to have a hard time bringing in leads. Today, websites have to be mobile friendly if they intend to rank well for searches. So, make sure your website is responsive.
There are plenty of resources on the internet to help you understand responsive design. So, do some research. More importantly, make the change.
It is extremely important to have a website that is intuitive, fresh, and of course, in sync with the times. However, you don’t have to carry out a redesign too frequently. But, every once in a while, do take the time to carry out an assessment.
