I just recently updated this website (do you like it? Leave me a comment!), and it got me thinking. Why exactly did I redesign my site? It’s a lot of work, it takes time, it’s a pain, things go wrong….yet I felt a pressing need to do it.

No, I’m not one of those people who constantly has to update and change things. That’s my husband 😉 But there are important, legit reasons to consider when deciding whether or not it’s time to redesign your website. So, why did I completely redo my own site? And, should you consider doing the same? Read on to find out.

1. Your website looks dated

Now, just because you had your website done a few years ago doesn’t mean that it’s old yet, or even looks dated. While it’s always good to stay on top of design trends, that’s just what they are, trends. Trends come and go. Not everyone needs to have the hottest and newest thing, including websites.

But for certain industries it’s more important to appear at the forefront; for others, not so much. Let’s just say that my site was beginning to look…obsolete. It still looked fine, and I still got compliments on it, but it was starting to show its age a bit.

For most people that wouldn’t be a huge issue, but since I do web design, it’s incredibly important that my own site appear up-to-date and trendy. I personally should plan to completely overhaul my business website every year or two simply for this reason.

Similar industries where it’s important to look current include: photography, interior design (or any design really), fashion, news, and anything technology related. See the connection? All of these industries have one thing in common: they highlight current events or culture, or even face towards the future—big reasons why their websites should always remain contemporary.

2. Your website isn’t mobile friendly

This is a big one. While my site was perfectly mobile-friendly, it wasn’t keeping up with all that mobile had to offer. By now I’m sure you heard that for the first time, internet usage on mobile devices has surpassed that of desktops. And the percentage grows every day.

It’s even more paramount than ever that your website be responsive or mobile friendly. If it’s not, get your site updated. ASAP.

3. You can’t easily change your website content

This is usually an issue with older websites. Back in the day, the only real option you had was to have a web developer hand code an entire site, using HTML, CSS, frames, and tables. Only the developer could access, let alone understand, any of that. This made updating things very difficult for the actual site owner.

Nowadays, most sites are created using some type of CMS—content management system—such as WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. These platforms make accessing and editing content a breeze.

Granted, setting up and designing the site is still a complex process best left to professionals, but once it’s up, it’s pretty easy to add great content (remember, Google loves content). So if you’re still stuck in the stone age of coded tables, please, get your site updated.

4. You are embarrassed to give people your URL

This was a big one for me. Yes, I’m sure my old site seemed fine to the layperson, but to me, I was starting to get a little embarrassed to hand out my business card, which had my web address on it.

You should always be proud of your website. If there’s anything wrong with it, or if something isn’t working right, get it fixed.

5. Your competitor’s websites are amazing in comparison

Why even have a website? Well, the whole purpose of having a brand, or a web presence, is to stand apart from the competition.

See, if your website looks the same, or worse than, your direct competitor, a visitor’s choice comes down to pure luck. Or who they found first. So it’s important to set yourself apart from any competitor by having a website that’s better than theirs.

I was starting to notice that some other local designers’ websites were, well, better than mine. I didn’t like that, so I redesigned mine to stay competitive. So should you.

6. Your brand/message has changed significantly

A great reason to redo your website is if your branding or company direction has changed significantly. And I’m not talking about, “oh, we made our logo teal a little more green” type of change. I’m talking drastic, like, completely new everything.

If you have a logo, branding, and collateral that are all outdated, and you’re getting those redone, it may be an excellent time to redo the website too. This way everything is consistent with your new message.

7. Your website isn’t converting as well as it used to

If you’ve been noticing your website traffic slowing down, or that you’re still getting visitors but no one is calling you, you may have a conversion problem.

Not always directly tied to simple aesthetics, low converting numbers may be a symptom of usability. Take your site for a test drive, and put yourself in your visitors’ shoes.

Is it easy to find what you’re looking for? What might be the one thing that users want when they come to your site? Is your contact information easy to find, or do you have any sort of engagement features like pop-ups or offers? If you’re lacking enough of these things, a site overhaul may be needed.

What do you think?

What other reasons can you think of for warranting a website redesign? Have you recently redone your own? What do you think about the new Apex Creative website? Let me know your thoughts!

Sheila

Sheila Patterson is the owner and Creative Director behind Apex Creative. GCU professor by day, brand identity expert by night, she loves all things related to design. When she's not creating amazing logos and websites, you can find Sheila tormenting her husband and two feline furbabies, catching the latest Game of Thrones episode, or reading a good book. Naps are nice too.