Have you been putting off updating your website because you’ve been too busy? Now is the perfect time to tackle that project. More people are spending time online and you need to be prepared for this influx of traffic with a refreshed or brand new website.
We’ve all experienced the effects of seasonal slowdowns or periods of lighter business activities. These quieter business days do not have to be unproductive. It’s a great time to review your website to see what updates you can make. You can also revisit a website project you’ve been wanting to tackle.
Updating Your Website
Have a website professional perform an audit. It’s good to have a new set of eyes on your website, especially a professional who knows the hallmarks of good website design. Whatever your industry, a website pro can assess whether or not your website is working toward your business goals. Below are some questions to ask yourself and things to consider when revamping your website design.
Search Engine Optimization
- Have you completed an SEO audit in the last year? Take a look at the backend of your website and your content.
- Is your content being updated regularly?
- Are your headings and content properly assigned?
- Are you publishing content on other websites or blogs?
- How are you receiving linkbacks, if any?
- Do you have any social media accounts or digital marketing campaigns that are feeding traffic to your site? If so, have you assessed them lately?
Navigation – Menus and Pages
- Are the menus and pages logical and easy to navigate?
- Is it simple to get back to the home page?
Have someone else click through your site. Did they end up on pages that they had no idea how they arrived at? Did they find what they were looking for? You could even poll some customers to define the user experience better.
Mobile Responsive
- Does the design look and feel right on a phone or is it outdated and difficult to navigate? Can it be viewed on an average sized cell phone?
- Are the calls to action mobile responsive? The call button should automatically dial your designated phone number when someone taps it. The email button should automatically pop up an email to your designated address when someone taps it. These are just a few things that are necessary for proper mobile responsiveness in a website.
Overall Look
- Simplicity is best. Large, clean photos should illustrate what your business does but not overcrowd the page.
- Iconography helps users easily find what they are looking for and breaks up large blocks of copy.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3) should be used appropriately throughout the website. They are incredibly important for search engine optimization (SEO). Not only do headings help define content sections, they make each page easier to view, because information is easier to find.
- Clean layouts with little fuss are best, especially for professional services websites. Animations, auto-play music, and other “frills” actually take away from the user’s experience. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “more is better.”
Content Assessment – Copy, Videos, Infographics, and Blogs
- When was the last time you reviewed your website’s content? Is it still relevant to your business, your industry, and current website trends?
- Has a marketing professional ever reviewed and assessed your content?
- Do you have videos on your website?
- Is there too much or too little information on your website?
- Is the content broken into digestible blocks with clear calls to action?
- Are you updating your content regularly? Do you have a blog? This also fits into the category of SEO.
Assess Calls to Action
- Is there a Call to Action on every page? You need to give the visitor every opportunity to take action, whether that’s a phone call, an email, or an online form.
- Have you tried AB testing different colors or phrasing for your Calls to Action? This is a great way to make sure you are getting the most out of them.
- Are your Calls to Action clear? Make sure users can easily understand your Calls to Action. Here, again, we want to be simple and to the point – no fancy language or poetics.
If it’s been more than 5 years since you invested in your website, chances are you will need a complete website overhaul. Perhaps you find that you only need or want updates to a few aspects of the website to get it working for you. Whatever your particular needs are, connect with the Pinstripe Marketing website design and development team. We’ll review your website and make recommendations on how to get it to achieve your goals and win more business.
