Does your website contribute to your bottom line?

Your audiences’ impression of your company’s brand, products and services are often based on the experience of your website. Given that, how well is your website doing its job?

If your site just needs a tweak or two, your content management system will allow you to do that. However, there are instances where a website needs a complete overhaul rather than a simple content update. To find out which camp you’re sitting in, ask yourself the following five questions.

1. Does the brand experience on your website inspire?

Effective and unique web design, video, photography and diverse content types contribute to an engaging brand experience. Well-designed and well-written web content delivered with a highly effective user experience is an incredibly persuasive indication of your brand’s commitment to quality.

If the experience your audiences are having on your website is not doing your brand justice, you may want to think about an update.

2. Is your website responsive to mobile devices?

Over 64% of web traffic occurs on mobile devices. If your current website does not respond to the size of the screen your visitors are using it may not be mobile responsive. Google and other search engines will mark that as a poor user experience. Plus your mobile audiences will have a less than satisfactory experience on your website which could equate to lost sales and a negative brand impression. If your website is not responsive and you want to update it, we recommend a full redesign.

3. Is the content on your website current? If not, can you update it easily?

Converted audiences will visit your website regularly. Stale content will give them the impression that you are not engaged or active in your sector. The ability to update web content with ease is a function of your content management tool. Content should be as easy to update as it is to post on Facebook.

A good content management tool will allow you to assign content updating roles to members of your team and control access including approvals before publishing. If you can’t do these things, then you may want to consider updating your content management system and practices.

4. Does your website turn prospective customers into customers?

A conversion-enabled website turns prospective audiences into customers and delivers exponential returns on your investment. Depending on the industry, acceptable conversion rates can be as low as 1.5% and as high as 10%.

Audience conversion often occurs as a result of a powerful brand experience that predisposes audiences to your sales team’s messages. It includes tactics that motivate customers to register to receive information about your services, products and upcoming sales. It often includes an e-commerce solution that allows customers to buy when they want to; at work, in the bathroom or on the bus.

The single-minded goal of converting customers via your website is accomplished with a layered website design and development process. Every step of the design and build process must accommodate your audiences’ needs at every step of their customer journey.

Is regularly updating your website part of your marketing plan?

A regularly updated website can boost sales, build awareness, enhance customer experience, reduce costs, improve workflow and help grow your organization. We recommend that you evaluate your website monthly to determine how well it is helping you meet business goals. This regular review of your website’s performance is important because influences on your customers will change as will seasonality, competitive threats and changes or upgrades to products and services. All will have an impact on your site traffic, and you will want to be ready to respond.

How often should you update your website? There are at least 3 circumstances when you should contemplate a website update: When your clients’ needs change, when your competition changes their website and when you are experiencing a dip in web traffic.

How often should you undertake a complete website redesign? Redesigning your website is a significant project. In order to stay current, you need to be ready to commit time and money to this exercise every 2-4 years.