Have you ever had someone ask how much business your website is generating? Or how many people visit your website from your Facebook ads?
It’s tough to answer these questions when you haven’t visited your own website in a while, and if the reason you haven’t been paying much attention to it is because you’re too busy. After all, you are running a business! Maybe you have been actively involved throughout the lifespan of your website, and you’re noticing that it just isn’t performing like it used to. Either way, you’re not alone in this dilemma.
According to a recent study, the average lifespan of a website is 2 years and 7 months.
Let that sink in.
We’re not saying you necessarily need a new website if yours is older than 2 and a half years. We are saying this is the average lifespan. Every industry is different. So let’s look at the factors that impact this score and determine if it’s time for an update.
Some factors that affect website longevity are related to changes in the operation of your business.
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Have your menu or hours of operation changed? Maybe you have new ownership or new services? Then your site is in need of an update.
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Are there new team members you’d like to showcase? Maybe it’s time for a fresh, new brand identity now that your team has expanded.
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Have you been thinking about incorporating a blog to boost your marketing strategy?
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Things change faster in the tech and design industries. Are you staying ahead of the trends?
Other factors relate to the user’s experience and changes in web design.
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Have you checked your links to see if they’re still functioning like they used to?
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Does your website look good on mobile and tablets? Or are your clients yelling at their device when they try to navigate your site?
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Does your site have an outdated design? Modern sites are streamlined into a single column. They have larger images that often fill the screen, and more videos and obvious calls to action.
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Is it a pain to update your site? With new content management systems, it should be easy to make changes to your content.
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Was your website was developed by a family member, friend or neighbour? This is not to diss your cousins or friend’s brother – everyone has to start somewhere!
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, it’s likely time for an update.
Here’s a quick test for you to determine how your website is performing:
Login to your Google Analytics account and review your bounce rate – the percentage of people who leave your site after visiting only one page. You could have had a 89% bounce rate for the past 3 years, but now you’re wondering why people aren’t converting when they visit your website. They’re not converting because they didn’t even give your website a chance! If your bounce rate is above 60%, it’s time for a new website. (We’ll dive deeper into bounce rates at a later date.)
The point is that if anything changes about you, your business, or your customers — your website ages. When your website doesn’t reflect your current business goals or branding, and it isn’t getting the results you want, it’s old. There are strategies to keep it young and fresh, but at a certain point, it’s time to redesign. Letting go is hard. That’s why we’re here to help.