3 Signs You Need an Updated Website

With the recent redesign of the Pike13 website, I've been thinking a lot about website content. Sites are tricky things. Business owners have a tendency to either obsess over them constantly or ignore them entirely once they’re initially built. Neither of these attitudes is especially productive, and often they end up harming business rather than helping it.

Your website is an important asset for your business. It’s the digital front door and often a prospective client’s first impression of who you are. So it matters if your site is disorganized or outdated–people might assume that applies to the rest of your business operations as well. For that reason alone, it’s worth investing in a website that reflects well on your business.

But how do you know if your website needs some TLC? These are some of the biggest warning signs: 

1. Your website doesn’t include the most sought-after information
   
   This is the biggest mistake your website can make. When visitors come to your site, they are looking for information. When they can’t find it, they get frustrated quickly. Think about why clients or prospects come to your website. What are they looking for when they engage with your business? Whatever it is, your site should have it front and center, and it should be up-to-date.
   
   
2. The information is there, but no one can find it
   
   Your most important information should be on the homepage of your site, above the fold. For instruction-based businesses (like our Pike13 customers!), this most likely includes info like hours, location, and a link to the schedule. If this critical information is hidden, you and your staff will be fielding a lot of phone calls from confused and frustrated clients. The rest of your content should be accessible through quick and easy navigation.
   
   
3. Your site doesn’t reflect your brand
   
   Your site should feel like an extension of your facility by incorporating your brand colors and values. Your website is part of the greater client experience, and it is confusing to clients when there’s a disconnect between what they see online and what they see in person. Having a unified look and feel across all your public-facing assets makes your business seem clean and organized.

That’s really all your website needs: up-to-date, accessible information from a source that looks like part of your brand. So now take a look at your current website–how does it stack up? Consider it from a client’s or prospect’s perspective. Can they easily find what they’re looking for in, say, 10 seconds or less? If not, it’s time to re-prioritize the content on your site.