Websites are often the first stop for potential customers or clients for your business. Therefore, it’s vital that your website leads them into your doors or entices them to press that “buy” button. Outdated websites or sites that don’t deliver the experience users now expect can botch that valuable first impression, so here are five signs your website definitely needs an overhaul.
Slow load times
Load times are paramount in the Digital Age. Everyone expects things to happen instantly at the click of a button or a swipe of the screen. Your website can’t take a long time to load on mobile devices; the optimal load times these days range faster than three seconds.
Relevant and proper SEO
Search engine optimization, which is the practice of tweaking your website so it’s ranked by search engines like Google, has evolved over time. As the major search engines change their algorithms and the rules, your website’s SEO must be adapted. Having outdated SEO practices on your website can actually cause it to be penalized by search engines, which means it will fall down in the search results and become less likely to be seen by your target users.
Optimization for mobile
Internet traffic is increasingly coming from mobile platforms, so if your website doesn’t work properly on these devices, you’re going to risk losing a lot of potential customers. Mobile users in particular want their experience to be smooth and fast, and they’re increasingly making purchases using devices. If your website isn’t working properly across multiple device types, it’s time to speak to a Toronto web design company about making that happen.
Good, strong security
Nothing is more damaging to a brand than a breach these days. When customers’ sensitive information is exposed, they lose trust in the brand that exposed it, and it can harm your reputation and your sales while potentially exposing you to legal liability for losses associated with the breach. There are threats evolving just as fast as technology, so your website needs to have the latest security available to combat them and prevent a possible disaster.
Clear communication channels
These days, people don’t want to call companies right away. They want to initiate contact through the website, and to do that, you need to have a simple contact form or another easy method of communication available right on your website. If your contact channels aren’t easy to use and easy for your users to find, you need an upgrade. Your social media accounts should be clearly linked so your visitors can follow you and spread the word there, too.
If your website is falling short in any of these areas, it’s time to contact a Toronto web design company so you can make the changes that you need or carry out an upgrade or overhaul. You simply can’t afford to have a website out of the past when the competition’s website may be on the cutting edge.
