Is It Time to Update Your Website?

This is a question often asked by business owners. Things change almost daily in the online world, so it’s important to regularly review your site to see whether you’re keeping abreast of current technology and design trends.

Have a look at the at the three main points of our website redesign checklist below and see if your site could benefit from an upgrade.

Design

It’s a very old cliché, but you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your website is the public face of your company and when users visit it for the first time, they’ll see it as a reflection of your business. If its design is attractive and up to date, visitors will be more likely to have a positive view of your firm. By the same token, if your site looks dated and doesn’t offer current information, it will create a negative impression in their minds.

Recent studies have shown that over 90% of internet users feel that well-designed websites are more trustworthy. This could be a subconscious preference, or it could be that users conclude that businesses that take their image seriously are worthy of trust. This should definitely be kept in mind when considering a site redesign.

Usability

Website usability is very closely related to the design considerations mentioned above. Similarly, usability considerations are constantly evolving. For example, just two or three years ago it was considered imperative that all important information on your homepage needed to be kept “above-the-fold.”  The assumption was that most users were accessing websites using desktop computers and therefore they should be able to see the most relevant information with a minimal amount of scrolling. This is no longer considered as important since the majority of internet users access website with their smartphones or tablets. Unlike desktop computers, these actually encourage users to scroll webpages up and down.

Currently the most important consideration when considering a redesign is mobile-friendliness.  Modern websites are built using a technique known as “responsive design.” This ensures that they work well on desktop computers as well as smartphones. Since over 60% of website traffic is now via mobile devices, you can safely assume that the majority of your visitors will be accessing your website using something other than a desktop computer.  If your site is not responsive, you’ll miss out on a lot of potential customers.  If you’re not sure if you’re site is mobile-friendly, Google offers a free tool that allows you to check: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly

Security

One often overlooked area to consider when updating your website is security. Yet it should be one of the most important considerations for all businesses. This is particularly true if you operate an e-commerce website or gather and store any type of client information online.

There’s no way to make your website invulnerable to hackers, but there are some simple things you can do to make it a harder target:

• Use a Reputable Webhosting Firm: It’s worth spending a few extra dollars a month to make sure your site is hosted on a stable, secure server.
• Install an SSL Certificate:These small data files encrypt credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, and other sensitive data when passed from a computer to a webserver. These are indispensable if you collect this type of data through your site.
• Software Updates: If your website is running on WordPress or another content management system, it’s important to update the software and plugins on a regular basis. This will make sure you have the latest security patches in place.
• Have a Regular Data Back-Up Plan in Place: Even the best protected websites can be hacked or can crash for other reasons. Make sure that you’re backing up your website to an off-site location on a regular basis. This will allow you to get your site back up and running quickly if you suffer any sort of problems.

Conclusion

The items discussed above are some basic things to consider when you’re thinking about a website redesign. Keep in mind that the internet is constantly evolving and you may have some issues that are specific to your needs. If you’re not sure if your site needs a facelift, have one of our web experts perform a free evaluation for you. Call 905-486-1728 or fill out our contact form.