Since most online traffic is directed to your website, it’s essential to reskin or revamp it if it is more than three or four years old. The reason being, as technology advances and higher quality websites become more common, older websites with outdated code and inaccurate information are being penalized by search engines and buyers. Search engines are ranking updated websites higher than those that are not, and “could-be-customers” are opting to buy from companies that make a more positive first impression.
Industrial websites that effectively attract traffic and convert visitors share common characteristics that you could pattern against to improve your website’s performance.
CONTENT:
- Page layouts with white space, larger fonts, shorter paragraphs, bulleted lists, inline font treatments (such as bold or italic), against backgrounds that are easy to see and scan.
- Professional quality photography, crisp, clear and colorful that arrest attention and motivate action.
- Body copy that sells using benefit oriented descriptions, unique or competitive advantages, and is written with the intent of conveying a compelling message – ending with a call-to-action that guides potential buyers through the sales funnel.
- Keyword rich pages with specific phrases visitors use when searching for the type of products you sell.
EXPERIENCE:
User-centric websites are designed from the outside-in, so they simulate a buyer’s offline behaviors when evaluating products to purchase. Navigations are structured and labeled to match the buyer’s mindset and their selection process. User-centric websites anticipate and accommodate, making it easy for buyers to maneuver on computers, tablets or cell phones.
CODE:
Old code, big image files, and broken applications are highly correlated with orphaned or abandoned websites. Google, nor any other search engine, will ever rank a neglected site very high because most visitors will find it worthless, or worth less than websites using current codes that yield a positive user experience.
A website redesign is imminent if it exhibits these signs
- Higher than average bounce rates: Websites that look or feel dated often create negative impressions that cause potential buyers to “bounce” (leave after seeing the first page they land on). The higher your bounce rate, the more negative the signal, to Google and other search engines, that there is trouble with your website. And when a website is “flagged” as having an issue, it is ranked lower than those with lower bounce rates.
While there are multiple reasons why visitors “bounce” the most common pertain to outdated or irrelevant content. Simple signs like an old copyright date, vintage looking photos or old design principles (e.g. colored fonts on dark backgrounds) lead to impulsive reactions to leaving your site. Either situation indicates a problem that needs to be fixed due to a misalignment between your company’s website and a potential buyer’s expectations. - Lower time spent averages: A company’s website often starts, supports and maintains a customer’s buying cycle when discovered from a search result. So when time spent on a website decreases on a site with escalating bounce rates, it is a near certain indication that it is repelling business.
- Stable or declining conversion rates: Conversion rates should steadily climb over time if you monitor and respond to visitor behavior. If your website leads are nonexistent, flat or decreasing, while your industry category is growing, chances are, your website is costing your business.
- Inhospitable websites: We’re far past Google’s announcement of “Mobile First” requirements. At some point in the near future, ALL Google Algorithms including Desktop computers will be based on Mobile. If your website hasn’t already felt the effects of this mandate, it’s only a matter of time. Make sure your website is working as hard as you are for your next sales opportunity. “Could-be-customers” are opting to buy from companies that make a more positive first impression. As technology advances and higher quality websites become the norm, older websites with outdated code and inaccurate information are penalized by search engines and buyers.
If your website does not accurately reflect your company, makes users hunt for information needed to make a buying decision, or is not optimized for cell phones and tablets, it is time to reskin or revamp your website. Contact us to analyze your Google Analytics data to gauge what your website it telling you about buyer behaviors or for recommendations on which approach would be best for you.
