If your website no longer accurately represents your business, performs poorly, contains outdated information or results in a frustrating experience for visitors, it's probably time for an update. Older websites often feature dated colors, themes, logos and photos. Combine that with broken links and slow load times, and you may have a site you’re reluctant to share. 

Potential customers research businesses online before they visit or call. A user's experience on your website is just as important as your curb appeal or the appearance of your front lobby. You wouldn’t settle for broken planter boxes or shag carpeting, so why settle for a dated website?

As you examine your website, ask yourself the following essential questions:

How appealing is your website's content?

• Does your website still reflect your company branding, voice, current logo and color palette? Is any of that dated?
• Are your team photos from this decade, or are they stuck in 2016?
• Is the copyright year at the bottom of each page current, or does it reflect the year of the last update—or worse, the year your site was launched?

Is your website functional and accessible?

• Is your site well organized and easy to navigate? Do all the links work?
• Is your site's content current and regularly maintained?
• Is your site just as easy to navigate on smartphones and tablets as it is on a desktop?
• How is your site's performance? Long page load times can result in a poor user experience.
• Is your site equipped with analytics so you can assess what's working, what isn’t, and how visitors interact with your site?
• Does your site follow current accessibility standards? Does it accommodate people with a broad range of abilities?

Is your site safe?

• Are your website's security measures current?
• Does your website's security protect your data and your customers’ data?
• What is your backup plan? If your site goes down, are you poised to swiftly recover?

Most importantly, is your site doing what you designed it to do?

• Why did you launch your site in the first place? Was it to generate leads, support existing customers or drive sales?
• Is your site achieving those key goals you identified as essential? Even if the branding and functionality aren’t obviously outdated, if your site is missing the mark, an update may be the answer.

If your self-audit reveals problems with your website, it may be time for an update. A website update doesn’t necessarily involve a complete redesign or rebuild. Depending on the problems identified, an update may only require refreshing outdated copy or images, fixing navigation, improving mobile usability or addressing performance problems.

While many small businesses can DIY basic fixes, technical accessibility, site-speed optimization and security issues can benefit from professional support. Imagine Communications is ready to provide that support. We have decades of experience in site design and hosting. Give us a call. We’re happy to work with you to get your site up to date.