Is Your Website “Modern”?
This may be the perfect time to invest in a new website.
Eventually you need to buy a new car instead of repainting it again and replacing the transmission and tires.
It is the same with websites. You shouldn’t need a new one every year, but after a while all the new goodies and gadgets come out that makes you question that maybe it is time buy a new one.
Here are some of the highlights to the biggest changes in recent years with websites. This list could be a mile long with more detail in each section but here is an overview for now.
- Past websites were an extension of your printed brochure. The basics of who you are, what you do and how to contact you. Modern websites look to “solve a problem” for a potential client. They speak to their challenges. They are less about explaining your services in detail but rather more about how your services can help that client.
- Call To Action. All modern websites have calls to action. More thought goes into sites these days, on what purpose they serve, how they flow, how to engage the visitor and how to ultimately get the visitor to act or react before leaving the site. You have their attention now. Proper calls to action with help convert the website visitor into a paying customer.
- Visual. More graphics, photos and videos drive modern websites. Much more use of graphics to cross promote website pages and get people to where they need to quickly and effectively.
- Responsive. SEO or search engine optimization has evolved tremendously. One of the biggest factors lately has been responsive sites. If it is a great visual experience, (and mobile friendly) Google will rank your site more favorably. This is just one element of search but it is also a smart choice to have a responsive site to give your clients the best experience. A responsive site will automatically adjust itself or re-stack/re-organize itself for the best viewing experience whether it is being viewed from a mobile device or desktop computer.
- SEO. This is a topic I can go on about forever. Bottom line is most of us have “optimized” our website (or not) for google search at one time or another. Most people feel that they are now set forever. Truth is Google is forever evolving what it deems important when choosing which sites to list before others. A re-design is the perfect time to take a look at your current rankings and apply new techniques to get your website found.
Things move fast these days and there is no stopping the evolution of the web and web marketing. What worked yesterday may not work today. Most businesses don’t put the proper investment toward their website based on the success or lack or success of their current website.
“I don’t get anything from it” Chances are if the site keeps up with the times you will get new business from it. It is a big mistake to not evolve your website along with the evolving habits of website users and the evolution of the available technology.
Done right, your website is an investment that will pay you back, save you time and make your connections to your clients more profitable and enjoyable.