7 Signs You Should Update Your Website Now

‍Do you remember the first time you created your website? If so, you’ll also remember how basic it probably was. Now, almost two decades later, things are very different. More and more people now search for businesses online before visiting them in person.

As a result, creating a website is no longer optional for companies – it’s essential. But if you created your website back in the early 2000s, your site probably isn’t as user-friendly or accessible as it could be today. If that sounds like your site, read on to learn more about why updating your website is so important right now and which factors you should take into account when updating it.

Before we dive in... Make sure to check out our blog article "Signs You Should Update Your Website Now".

Why Is Updating Your Website Important Right Now?

The simple fact is that many people are now actively avoiding websites that are not mobile-friendly. This is partly because of the increasing use of mobile devices for internet browsing. But it’s also because Google has confirmed that mobile usability is a ranking factor for mobile searches. As a result, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely to see a drop in your organic search engine rankings. It’s easy to assume that everyone who’s looking for your business will enter your URL directly into their browser.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, according to Hubspot, almost half of all online visitors go straight to Google before visiting your site – without typing in the URL at all. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, these visitors will see a sub-par experience that makes them less likely to choose you. But that’s not the only reason to update your website. The other side of the coin is that you can also improve your rankings by updating your site. In fact, if you carefully follow the advice below, you may see an increase in your website traffic as soon as you update it.

How To Know If You Need To Update Your Website

You may need to update your site if:

• Your site is more than a year old - It’s especially important to update the site if you created it more than a year ago. Unfortunately, most website builders are only useful for a year. After that, you’ll need to update the code manually.
• You want to increase your conversion rates - If you’re receiving plenty of site traffic but your conversion rates are low, you may need to update your site.
• Your site is not mobile-friendly - Check your site on a mobile device. If it’s not mobile-friendly, you’ll need to update it to ensure that Google doesn’t penalize you.
• You want to increase your organic traffic - If you want to see an increase in the number of organic visitors to your site, you’ll need to update it.

What Should Be Included In An Updated Website?

When you update your website, you’ll want to make sure to include the following:

• Updated content - You should update any outdated content on your website. If you have product pages with images from when the product was released 10 years ago, you’ll want to update them.
• A fresh design - A fresh design includes updated colors, images, and fonts. If you still have the same design as when you created your website, you may want to consider a design update.
• Updated links - You should also ensure that any links on your site are up-to-date. If you have a link that’s no longer valid, you should remove it.
• An updated call-to-action (CTA) - Finally, you should include an updated CTA. If you want to improve your conversion rates, you’ll need to update your CTA.

2 Things To Know Before You Start Updating

1. Not all website builders are created equal - Before you start updating your website, you should make sure that your website builder is actually up-to-date.
2. Website builders change with time - If you created your website with and online website builder, you’ll want to check whether there are newer versions of the website builder. Not only does the design and functionality change, but the code does, too. This means that updating your website is a simple matter of clicking a button. If you created your site with WordPress, things are a little more complicated. You’ll need to update the code manually. If you don’t know how to do this, you may want to hire a web developer or ditch Wordpress for another website building platform.

Note:  Tommy House Studios has their own WebsiteCMS. Our LaunchCMS website build is perfect for small business owners that want the ease to admin and edit, restyle and update their websites. For more info, reach out or visit launchCMS.com. And remember to check out our blog article "Signs You Should Update Your Website Now".

Summing Up

Your website is a direct extension of your business and is a critical part of your online presence. If you have an outdated or non-existent website, you are essentially missing out on a tremendous amount of potential leads and customers. In fact, studies have shown that 93% of all online transactions now start with a search engine. That’s why it’s so important to keep your website up-to-date. In addition to improving your SEO, having a modern website will also make it easier for prospective customers to find you and interact with your brand. let Tommy House Studios help you update that old website today! Contact us for more information!