How to know it’s time for a new website
There comes a point in any small business journey when you start to have this little niggling feeling at the back of your mind. A subtle sensation that something isn’t quite right. A thought that you might want to change things up a little with your online presence.
But identifying what it is that you want to change can be trickier than choosing your snacks for a 10 hour car journey (popcorn and Ugly drinks please).
You know that you need to dive deep and find the cause. Why aren’t you getting the traction you’re looking for online? Is it social media, your website copy, or perhaps your website itself?
Here’s how to figure out if that niggling feeling is a sign that you’re in need of a new website for your small business.
You don’t feel confident directing your dream clients to look at your current website
How do you feel each time you send your website’s URL out to a potential client? Or how about when a client says “oh don’t worry I’ll just have a look on your website!”?
Is it a feeling of celebration and excitement at what they’ll discover there? Or does your stomach drop faster than the Times Square ball on New Year’s Eve?
If your current site is more you at the end of an all-night work session rather than you coming out of the hairdressers after a three-hour glam session, then it’s probably time for a new website. Your website should be putting your best foot forward, it should showcase the best version of you and your business, and it should be doing the hard work of nurturing your dream customers for you.
The majority of consumers won’t consider a small business if they can’t easily find information about them online. Your website needs to give the same warm welcome that you’d give those customers if they walked into your store or came up to you at an event. If it’s not doing that, you’re doing your business (and those customers) a disservice. Because they’re missing out on all the wonderful things your business has to offer.
You find yourself comparing your website to your competitors, and you’re feeling a bit rubbish about it
Yep, you’ve fallen into the comparison trap. And it’s horrible. I’ve been there – a horrible cycle of seeking out more folks to compare yourself too, leaving you feeling disparaged and ready to just give up on it all.
But you can also learn something from your comparison. You can turn your comparison into a positive.
If you’re finding yourself browsing Pinterest and ogling every design you stumble across, rather than getting on with the customer research you were actually there to do. Well, we need to talk. Because when you’re comparing yourself to other people, that’s usually highlighting something you feel insecure about. And if that ‘thing’ is your current site? Let’s get you a new one.
Try to dive a little deeper and really analyse what these other websites have that yours doesn’t. It could be the design, the copy, the features, or just a general feeling that yours doesn’t quite emit. Running through this exercise will help you to plan your site when the time comes.
Your current website isn’t converting
It could be that you have a high bounce rate, or a low conversion rate. The simple fact is that your current website isn’t bringing in the leads that you’re looking for. Or, it’s bringing in the wrong kind of leads.
If people are leaving your website, it’s a simple and clear sign that they’re not finding the information they’re looking for.
If your dream clients aren’t sending enquiries, then that means that they’re not being nurtured to do so.
Whilst I can’t tell you the cause of these issues (you’d need a website audit for that), I can tell you this: all of these issues are indicators that your website needs to change. It could be that you need a brand spanking new website, or a little ‘nip and tuck’ to freshen things up a little on your current site. Either way, change is a must.
You don’t know how to edit your current website
If you’re dreading logging into your website, then you’ve got an issue. It breaks my heart when I see clients who have been left high and dry by their previous website designers, unable to even edit some simple text.
If you don’t have a website manager, you need to know how to manage your website yourself. From keeping WordPress plugins up to date, to refreshing your content and publishing new blog posts, you need a website that’s not just easy to navigate for your visitors but for you as well.
Your business has changed direction
If your business has pivoted since your website was first built, or if you’ve expanded into new areas, it’s likely time to refresh your site. Perhaps your messaging has changed, maybe you need new website features that you hadn’t considered before or you could need different functionality for this new area of your business.
You could simply update your current website but if you’re launching a new arm of your business, launching a new website could be a good way to garner attention for that.
You don’t have a website
1 in 5 customers won’t consider a small business they haven’t purchased from before if they don’t have a website.
That’s 20% of consumers not even considering your business as an option.
I don’t know about you but I think that’s pretty heartbreaking. Imagine 20% of your customers turning around and walking away before you’ve even opened your mouth to say hello!
A small business website is your digital storefront. It’ll nurture leads whilst you’re sleeping and build trust with those dream customers. But more importantly, it shows that you’re taking your business seriously. That you plan on sticking around. That you’ve made the effort to invest to support your customers, in the same way that you hope they’ll invest in you to support your business.
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