Is It Time For A Facelift?

Five things to consider for a website nip and tuck

The global anti-aging market is estimated to be worth around $50.2 billion. “Age” may just be a number, but most of us are investing in ensuring that our number looks as low as possible. But, are you treating your website with the same attention and care?

If it has been three or more years since you’ve redesigned or reconfigured your site, it’s likely time for a little (or a lot) of work to be done. In fact, many brands are upgrading their sites every year — if not far more than that — to keep their pages as aesthetically relevant, user-friendly, and functional as possible.

But, where to start? Here are five website facelift tips to consider:

1. Make sure your site makes a good first impression.

Did you know that 94% of first impressions of your company are related your website’s design? What’s more, judgments of website credibility are 75% based on a website’s overall design. These are significant numbers. It doesn’t matter how legitimate your products or services are — if your site doesn’t live up to the same standards, you’re losing potential customers.

2. Test your site.

If you haven’t done this in a while, get on your site and click around; subscribe to your email newsletter; order something; complete the contact form — do all the things that you want your customers to do. And, test both on a desktop and a mobile device!

• Do your links work? What kind of messaging cues are there?
• How long does it take to load?
• Is it easy to find your products? Are you showing inventory online?
• Is checkout simple and satisfying? Is it secure?
• Is your site mobile-optimized?

You might notice something isn’t working or the site doesn’t show well on your cell. Keep in mind: Users are five times more likely to leave a website if it is not mobile-friendly. Perhaps you’re frustrated because it’s taking forever to load some of the pages or images —slow-loading websites cost their owners around $2.6 billion in losses every year! Or, maybe you cannot find a product or are having trouble ordering something. That means your customers are experiencing difficulty, too — and your revenue is likely declining.

3. Research the competition.

Studies show that at least 73% of companies invest in design — from product to website design — so they can differentiate themselves from online competitors. Are you part of that 73%? When you’re competing with lots of other companies in the crowded dot-com space, a user-friendly website with a unique edge is the one that stands out.

Also, knowing how your competition stacks up online may help clarify how you want to present your company to the world — and what you do or do not want to offer. You aren’t trying to copy any ideas here; you’re just refining your place in the market and achieving clarity.

4. Don’t ignore that blog.

Relevant and consistently updated blog content helps your site appear higher in search results and can increase your visits and sales. In fact, companies that regularly blog get 97% more links to their websites. If you don’t have time to write fresh blogs for your site, hire someone who can! At CRANK Digital Marketing, it’s one of the many website services we offer to our clients.

5. Ask your target audience or customers what they think.

It’s always good to have end users look at your website with a discerning eye — especially those who represent a cross-section of your target audience. They are the ones who will be ultimately interacting with the site the most and can offer new, fresh perspective on its functionality.

Websites are aging more quickly than ever because technology is moving faster than ever — and company goals often evolve just as rapidly. To stay ahead of the game, make sure you are working with a professional website design team like CRANK Digital Marketing. We offer turnkey solutions and ongoing support that will make your website facelift fast and easy — and as painless as possible! Let’s start the conversation!