The internet is the first place people go when looking for services. Having a website that is optimized, signals to search engines, like Google, that you’re a business worth being found. It is your 24/7 salesperson, and though it can be an investment, it’s one of your company’s most powerful marketing tools.
6 Reasons You Need a New Website
There are many reasons that you might need a new website, but if your goal is to grow and thrive, you need to consider the following factors:
1. You Don’t Have a Website
If you don’t currently have a website, your first step is to connect with me so we can get you started with creating one. Almost all of your potential customers are looking for services online. Without a website, you are seriously hurting your business by handing your customers over to competitors with an online presence. You might have survived for this long on word-of-mouth marketing, which is amazing, but if your name is being shared and people can’t find you on Google, they’ll likely search elsewhere! You’re also hurting your credibility by not having a website for potential customers to learn more about your services and how they can best acquire them.
2. Your Website Wasn’t Built to be Mobile-Friendly
Your customers are living on their phones, especially these days. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a majority of your market, and again, handing your customers over to your competitors. Your site users are researching online, and 70% are on their phones. Don’t let so many potential customers slip through your fingers by having a website not optimized for mobile.
3. Your Site Loads in More Than 3 Seconds
Did you know that 53% of users will leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load? Not only does a slow site aggravate your potential customers, but it also negatively impacts how you rank on Google. Check out Google Test My Site to see how your site is performing from a speed perspective.
4. Your Website is Not User Friendly
This is crucial. Your customers must know what to do when they end up on your website. It should be clear what services you provide and how they can obtain them. The homepage of your website is the first impression of your company for the majority of potential customers. Therefore you want to be sure your messaging is crystal clear in both the site’s design and user experience. In the same vein, if your company has evolved or grown over the last few years, you’ve likely added some additional services, products, or even employees, meaning your website doesn’t represent your company accurately anymore. Having everything up to date and accurate lets your clients know exactly who they’re working with and what services they’ll be getting.
5. Your Site is Not SEO Friendly
Your website needs to be maximized for search engine optimization, and that doesn’t mean useless tactics to get your website to “number 1 on Google” because even Google says this isn’t possible. This is the long game – creating a website that can be crawled or visited efficiently and content that is easy for Google to interpret. Google analyzes both the text and non-text content and the overall visual layout to decide where it should appear in the search results. This means that if Google can properly understand your site, you’re more likely to be matched with people looking for your services.
6. Your Website is Not Secure
This is another critical piece for building trust with your customers and improving your Google ranking. If you have a contact form on your website and you’re gathering names, emails, or phone numbers, you’re putting all of that customer data at risk by not having a secure website. If you depend on leads or sales inquiries, your site needs to be secured so that users don’t leave it before giving you their contact details. If they see that “not secure” warning, the odds are they won’t give you their information.