Is it time to redesign your webite?

If you are a business owner or are responsible for marketing your company / organisation, and you’re wondering if you need to redesign your website, then the real answer should be based on feedback you receive from others.

For example, ask 3 or 4 of your most trusted employees/colleagues to review your website. Then ask a few people outside your company, people that would be similar to your target audience. The results should tell you the answer.

Here are some of the questions you should ask:

• can visitors easily navigate to the most crucial information within 3 clicks?
• are items easy to find?
• how well does the site project the company image and personality?
• is the site engaging and interactive, or more like a brochure or billboard?
• how strong is the company logo and branding, and does it feel out of place on the website?
• would you return to the site often? Why?
• what is missing, and what would you change?
• what objectives and results does your business want to accomplish with the site, and how effective is the current site? (online sales, customer service, newsletter signup for lead generation, etc, etc)

Answers to these questions should give a pretty clear indication of whether it’s time to redesign, or not.

The final consideration should be whether or not your site is suitable to participate in social media. Billboard / brochure style websites of years past versus current web sites, is like comparing a walkman to an ipod. Billboard style websites have basic limited capabilities, when compared to the latest technologies that your competitors may be taking advantage of, or may not have yet discovered. If you are ok with sitting back and hoping that potential customers find your website, assuming that they find it in the search results, then you don’t need to worry. If, on the other hand, you are interested in creating a website that is optimised to engage in social media, then you can reap these rewards.

• visitors will come back again and again to consistently new, fresh and updated content on your website
• enable your sales and marketing team to be more successful with powerful online resources to back them up
• educate, entertain and engage with your customers with blog articles, pictures and newsletters
• increase your search rankings by building a wealth of content relevant to your industry
• establish yourself as an industry leader by adopting new technology and providing relevant content to your audience
• encourage purchases and sales queries by providing clear “next step” calls to action

Your website should be something you are proud of. It will be your online shopfront, that can persuade potential customers to use your company services/products. If your website is like that awkward relative that you’re embarrassed to introduce to friends, then it’s time for a change. Your website can potentially win entice more curious shoppers than your place of business can. It can communicate to a wider audience, quicker and in a way that is completely up to you.

It’s more cost effective to be proactive in your marketing that it is to play catch up when your competitors have a firm grip on your target market.

To find out how we can help you, why not give us a call on (021) 2320 424 or email us at [email protected]