Do you know one of those people, or are you one yourself? You are as proud as a peacock of your (self-developed) website and have no intention of parting with it anytime soon. All those hours of work you’ve put into this brainchild. And everything still works fine, right? So why build a new website? Right?
But while you might not want to accept it yet, it is probably high time. It is time to wake up and view your website through the eyes of your visitor. From that perspective, we have created a checklist. Check the usability of your website here and know immediately where you stand. How many can you tick off?
Check #1: Conversions are lagging
Even if you put all your free hours into optimizing your website, leads and sales remain absent or disappointingly low. Then ask yourself whether you are working on your website in the right places. To generate conversions, your website must also be aimed at the desired conversions.
Good design, persuasive text on the pages, and a clear structure are important to guide your visitor in a logical direction and encourage them to take action. Only when a visitor is convinced will they sign up for your newsletter, download that white paper, or contact you.
to do: Use Google Analytics (click on Behavior > Site Content) to find out which pages visitors leave your website from (quickly) and optimize this content.
Check #2: Your website is not mobile-friendly
Create a responsive A (mobile-friendly) website is a must these days. Most internet users visit a website via their smartphone (or tablet), rather than via a computer. Does your website not load quickly, properly, or smoothly on mobile? Then there is work to be done. If you have a new website built, it is mobile-friendly by default.
to do: Check via Google Analytics how many visitors access your website via a mobile device. Then take a look at how your page performs on mobile. This can be done via the Google's mobile-friendly test.
Check #3: Making adjustments is difficult
Every website needs maintenance. But your website consists of stacks of plugins and other layers and is extremely static. You actually have very few customization options and, as a result, remain stuck in a fixed pattern. Sound familiar? Then there is really only one logical solution in the long run: a new website.
to do: Do yourself a favor and opt to develop a user-friendly website. Would you rather keep your current website for a while longer? Then it is essential to regularly provide your website with new content. This keeps signaling to Google that you are working on your website, and strong content will help you improve your position in Google.
Check #4: You don't see your own website in Google
When you want to visit your own website, you type the URL into the search bar and you're there. Most other people don't do it this way and only find your website via a search query in Google. Therefore, ensure that you are findable for relevant search queries and appear among the search results. If your website is not listed here, you are not doing enough. search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is complex and depends on many factors and changing algorithms. The findability of your website is therefore determined by, among other things, the technical aspects, popularity, and content of your website.
to do: Let a specialist you analyze website And make sure the basics are right first. From there, you can work on your findability at a deeper level and, for example, outsource this as well.
Check #5: Your website is slow
Nowadays, no one has the patience to wait longer than a few seconds for a page to fully load. Is loading taking too long? People get impatient, click back to the search results, and your chance is gone.
It is a terrible waste to lose or miss out on visitors due to your low page speed. Google also values page speed. A high speed results in a higher ranking in Google.
to do: Check your page speed with the tool PageSpeed Insights from Google. Here you can read direct tips to improve your speed.
Check #6: Your content is not engaging enough
The content on your website must excite visitors and then activate them. If your content fails to do this, you may miss out on potential customers or leads in this area. Strong, relevant, and engaging content ensures that you retain a visitor and persuade them to make contact, submit a request, or make a purchase. With the right informative content, you can give them that final push.
However, you don't just write strong content out of the blue. Web copy is structured differently than text on paper. You need to grab attention in just a few seconds, otherwise your visitor will be gone again.
to do: When writing relevant content, think from the perspective of your visitor's information needs, not about what you want to tell them. A good approach is to determine what someone wants to know and what questions a visitor wants answers to the moment they visit your website. Give your visitor that information. Let this be done by a professional content marketer do it, and you are assured of stimulating and activating content.
Check #7: The competition has a nicer website
Finally, take a look at your competition. Of course, you should primarily stay true to yourself and do what suits you best. But taking a look at how others have set up their design is certainly not a bad idea. By comparing yourself to your competition, you can determine whether your website still effectively conveys the image you want to project. Do your brand identity and personality still come across well in the logo, colors, and images?
If a competitor comes across as more attractive, people are more likely to delve into what else he has on his website. A good first impression is therefore of great importance digitally as well.
to do: Ask various people in your network or a specialist what they think of your website's design and whether it aligns with what you offer and the target audience you want to reach. If not, adjust it (consistently) or opt for a new website with a completely innovative design.
Ready to see how Snowflake works?
Can you tick off quite a few items on the checklist? Then it is time for a new website. Start 2020 off right and choose a new chapter with a fresh, up-to-date website. We are happy to help you with the Shaping en realize of a website that actually suits your services or products. Contact us without obligation. contact with us on to the possibilities to discuss.