When you’re entrenched in a long-term relationship with your website, it can be harder to identify the fundamental issues that are holding you back from success. You become so used to the way it looks, works and feels, that changing things up can be a little scary. Fear of the unknown keeps us tied to what we’re comfortable with.
When it comes to B2B websites, poorly designed or badly functioning websites can lead to lost sales opportunities. A survey discovered that up to 60% of website visitors will leave a site immediately if a site is slow, ugly, old or tired looking, or lacks visuals. Sixty percent! Consider the missed business opportunities as a result… Ouch.
As web presence experts, we’ve got pretty keen eyes for flagging websites in need of total overhauls. We think of ourselves as relationship experts between companies and their digital counterparts. Sometimes identifying the issues is as simple as a quick once-over; other times, a deeper dive into web data and analytics unveils the major issues causing disconnect.
So if you’re not a seasoned web expert, website relationship expert, or a self-proclaimed “techie” when it comes to web presence, how will you know if it’s time to send your current website packing?
How to Self-Diagnose Your Current Website
To make the breaking up process less painstaking, here are the top five questions to ask yourself in order to flag the major issues in your relationship with your current site:
Is my site optimized for browsing on mobile devices?
Site design has come a long way in recent years. The need for mobile-friendly websites has led to demand for mobile-responsive themes — themes that self-adjust based on the user’s browsing tool of choice.
Non-mobile responsive sites can be highly frustrating for searchers — browsing a non-responsive site on a tablet or phone can lead to pinching and pulling to view the content. As a result, users become fed up and navigate away from your site, continuing their search for solutions elsewhere.
Plus, if your website theme is not mobile-optimized, prepare to see your domain omitted from Google’s search results, no matter how great your search engine optimization is.
Am I generating qualified leads through my website?
If potential customers aren’t connecting with you after browsing your website, there’s something missing from your site’s functionality, design or content that isn’t prompting them to take the next step: think conversion points like forms or graphic calls-to-action (CTAs).
Think of your website as a salesperson — would you keep paying their salary if they weren’t delivering on new business leads? Often times, we invest in our sales staff with training and best practices — a website works the same way. If you want your website to perform to its full potential, make sure you’ve set it up for success with the right functionality, design and content.
Is my website’s navigation clear?
This goes hand in hand with the above point — if your site’s navigation is confusing and doesn’t help users address their pain points, you will miss out on potential leads and sales.
Make sure your website navigation reflects a logical flow based on your sales process. Know your customer and what information they look for at each stage of the funnel. Your navigation should reflect this process to accurately guide users to take a desired action on site.
Does my current site include visual content?
Written content is important, but more and more people look to visual content to educate, explain or represent an idea, product or service. If your website is cluttered with lengthy paragraphs and lacks visual content, prepare to lose customer interest fast.
Visual content can include videos, images, infographics, charts, maps, memes and more. Often times, these pieces of content can tell a story even better than the written word, all while keeping browsers engaged to buy.
Is my website professionally designed?
Business expenses add up quickly, and sometimes we find ourselves looking for a DIY option. In the case of website design, DIY should never be an option.
Leave site design to the experts. If your website doesn’t look professional, neither will your business.
Breaking Up is Hard to Do… But Necessary for Success
If you answered “no” to two or more of the questions above, it’s sadly time to part ways with your current website.
Yes, website redesign can be frightening — but it doesn’t have to be. Working with an experienced partner in B2B website development can make the process far less painful and instead, exciting and optimistic.
The relationship you had with your ex-website wasn’t a total waste — it helped you to learn valuable business lessons and set you up for future business success. And at least you’ll always have (mostly) fond memories together to look back on.
Download The Ultimate Guide to a High-Performing Website
Want to learn more about website redesign and optimal performance for B2B sites? Use our free downloadable guide to further self-diagnose your current site and kickstart the rebuild process. Get your copy now by clicking the banner below!
