Websites are a crucial part of your digital strategy. About 40% of Nigeria’s over 100 million internet users use search engines for brand discovery. While you may have a website, it is sometimes easy to forget that your pages need to be updated regularly.
Think about your website like a car. When you first get it, it has all the latest features, but it needs daily maintenance to perform optimally. The same goes for your website. Regular updates and maintenance ensure that you are found when customers and prospects come calling.
So, do you need a website update? Here are the top four signs that spell, ‘yes!’.
The Pages are difficult to Navigate
Customers are supposed to complete a purchase on your page in three clicks. Landing page –> Purchase –> Pay. When the navigation on your page makes the purchase journey confusing, they are more likely to abandon the purchase and go somewhere it is easier.
How to tell if your website’s navigation is poor
When you send customers to your website and they keep coming back to ask for help in finding products or services, that’s a bad sign. So, to know navigable your website, create a customer experience form for your website and ask visitors if they had a stellar experience on your site.
Your website is not mobile-friendly
Some authorities claim that as much as 90% of Nigerians visit websites on mobile. In fact, in March 2021, Google switched to mobile-first indexing/ranking of websites. So if you do not have a responsive website in 2021, then you are not ready for business.
How to tell if your website is not mobile-friendly.
The text and pictures are too large to fit into a mobile screen, so you find that you have to scroll left or right to see the full picture. Also, navigation menus or buttons on the page are so close that if you try to tap with your fingertip, you can’t tap one without touching the other.
Your website contains outdated information
All the information on your website is supposed to be accurate. If you run an e-commerce website, for instance, products and prices should be up-to-date. People should trust the information they find on your website.
How to tell if your website contains outdated information
If your website footer still reads any year outside of 2021 as of today, then you need to update it. Also, if you have had to apologise to customers about a price change that you ‘forgot’ to effect, or a phone or email change, or perhaps your website still lists a service you no longer offer, then you are guilty. Regular checks ensure that outdated information is removed or changed.
Your Website Doesn’t Rank on Search Pages
New customers and prospects can only find you if you rank on search pages. This is why your website needs to rank for keyword and or location. When people can only find your page by entering your web address on their browser or clicking a link on an ad or social media you have a problem.
How to tell if your website is not ranking well in searches
Your website does not show on the first page for any keywords related to your industry or location. To be sure where your web traffic is coming from or how much traffic you are getting, download an analytics plugin and use the reporting to check. If you do not have “organic traffic” it means that there is something wrong with your SEO. You may need to get an expert to help you. Or you may download a plugin like Rank Math or Yoast for free to help you do basic SEO.
Other Reasons to Update Your Website.
Your Website Takes Too Long to Load
Especially in a country like Nigeria where the network service is slow, you should be careful not to overload your pages with too many features, heavy graphics, animations or photos. If your bounce rate is high, Google will mark down your site. A high bounce rate means that people leave your page from the “landing page” without taking any action. The more time people spend on your site, the more search engines rank it as a valuable place to get information. So if people are leaving from the first page, it means you have nothing to offer them.
No Clear Call to Action button
Your call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that tells your website visitors exactly what you want them to do when they arrive on your site. These buttons are usually strategically placed so that the users immediately notice them, read the CTA and do as expected. For example, “contact us”, “sign up”, “buy now”, etc. Your CTA must be unambiguous yet compelling. The more creative you are with your CTA, the more likely the web visitor will be inclined to take action.
Your website User Interface (UI) or Design (UX) is unappealing.
The UI and UX of your website play a key role in determining whether the visitor stays or leaves. The use of colour, fonts and other design elements all contribute to a great user experience. However, even when the design is okay, if the interface is poor, your customers may not be willing to put up with it, especially if your competition offers better. Have you ever wondered why your devices need to be frequently updated? This should give you a fair idea of why you need to always keep your website updated.
Tl; Dr? Here’s a Recap
Your website is not a once-done, forever-done project. If you notice any of these factors, then it’s time for a website update:
- Your website is not easy to navigate.
- Web page is not mobile friendly
- Website pages contain outdated information
- Your website doesn’t rank on search engine pages
- Your website takes too long to load
- There are no clear CTAs on your pages
- Your website User Interface (UI) or Design (UX) is unappealing.
If you need help assessing if your website needs updating, book a consultation with us here