Maybe this is a question you are asking yourself having been bombarded by emails suggesting that you should do so! You're probably looking at your site and wondering what is wrong with it, and if it is converting visitors to sales, then what is the issue?
I think that web companies are nearly always looking for new business. So they will often use a bought list to flood the internet with promotional emails. Now that's not a bad way of getting new business, after all Epsilon Email Marketing Research Center estimated that HTML emails can bring about a 1 - 5% conversion rate. However, if you've had an email from us here at iPages it is because we seriously think that your website would benefit from a new look and improved usability! So here are our thoughts on why you should redesign, and why we think that it can benefit your business and profits.
1. To improve the usability of your website
Just because you can find the information on your website doesn't mean that your web visitors can. So take a look at your web stats, be it Google analytics or Piwik. Find out what your bounce rate is on your home page, and how long visitors spend on your site. If your bounce rate is at 60% it's time for a redesign because you are losing potential customers. And if you struggle to find information on your site then there is no way that the average web visitor will be able to so you must invest on making your site more usable.
2. To make it more tablet and phone friendly
Have you looked at your website on a tablet or mobile? Sales on mobiles and tablets accounted for 36% of retail sales last quarter according to IMRG, and this figure is rising quarterly. This indicates a shift in the market to these devices so if your website looks poor on an iPad, then you must invest in a redesign. You can be certain that your competitors will and you do not want to be left behind.
3. To make sharing on Social Media simple!
You may not know your Facebook from your Google Plus, but you cannot ignore social media. Since Google Hummingbird was introduced your brand's profile reach is being measured, so if you're not active on Social Media then it is hampering your performance on the web.
4. To Increase Functionality
This is particularly true if you were using iPages' new software. We have improved the functionality of our software incredibly, so your website would be able to virtually run your business for you. However, websites have moved on, it's essential that yours does too.
5. To keep it up-to-date
Trends are constantly changing on the web and although we wouldn't recommend that you redesign your site every couple of months, we would strongly urge you to update it every couple of years. Things have changed in the world of search engine optimisation and what might have helped your website to perform well on the web 2 years ago certainly won't be working now. In fact your website might even be working against you when it comes to your ranking on Google! So keep your site up-to-date and let your customers and clients know that you are serious about your web presence.
At iPages we have seen several of our clients rebrand their websites. MAKE International, designer contemporary homeware specialists, are one such company who have gone for a completely new look on iPages. With filterable searches, improved directory, and highly sophisticated stock control the new iPages' ecommerce software ticked all the boxes. And the website could incorporate the strong branding of MAKE whilst not compromising the functionality required.
Redesigning your website will certainly benefit your business and should be part of your ongoing marketing plan to ensure that you maintain competitive in your market.