As 2021 comes to a close, it’s important to begin setting goals for 2022. As a business owner or leader, your goals are likely closely tied to the continued success of your business. As web developers, we encourage you to consider adding a new website to your 2022 bucket list. It is now more important than ever to have an optimized, accessible, and quality website as Google continues to perform updates, scanning sites for their quality and ranking them accordingly. You don’t want your website to be left behind, buried in the results.
Perhaps you feel your current website is performing well enough, and you aren’t in need of an upgrade at the present time. We want to remind you that your website is in fact the face of your business. It is the first and best impression that many potential customers see. It is your one chance to make a good first impression and to prompt engagement. So, all this to say...an up-to-date site is a must in today’s ultra-competitive market.
The following are the four most applicable reasons we feel you should add a new website to your 2022 bucket list:
The overall design of your website should be a visual representation of your organization. Visually, it should be on-brand with your message and mission. If it doesn't look sleek, nice, and professional, in many cases, people just won’t take you seriously. Furthermore, if you don’t regularly update your content, your site will begin to look outdated. Keep in mind, your website today should be responsive and mobile-friendly, not just desktop applicable. Your website must be able to adapt well to the size of the screen on which it's being viewed.
Accessibility is a huge topic of importance online right now. Your website should be updated to ensure it is accessible to all people, even those with disabilities. In addition, now is a great time to prioritize your user experience. Look at your website through the lens of a first-time viewer. If you were visiting for the first time, would you be confused by anything? Would you stay or leave? Evaluate your own site fairly and extensively and then jot down any feedback you have on design or layout.
Your content might be golden, but if it’s the same content as it was five to 10 years ago, then search engine crawlers won’t think of it as relevant anymore, and it will be subsequently buried in the results page. Update your content during a redesign but also regularly with blogs to make Google happy. Also, update your CTAs, contact forms, and other landing pages to make sure that your purchasing funnel is working optimally ensuring visitors are helped through the process of each step. Remember, your website should be making sales while you sleep.
Last, but certainly not least, efficiency is another reason to update your website for 2022. Having a more streamlined and effective layout and website management system makes updating your site much easier. This includes updating or simply making changes to landing pages, blogs, pushing promotions and campaigns, etc. It will be more efficient for customers as well to get the information they need without wasting time reaching out to you directly. In other words, a renovated website will operate much more efficiently on both your end and in terms of your site visitors’ experience.
There are many reasons to upgrade your site, but the four listed above are some of the most applicable. These should guide you towards creating a new and fresh website that works well for you and your customers. If you aren’t sure how to get started or just feel overwhelmed at the thought of having to undertake an update on your own, contact our team today to learn more. We are happy to facilitate any changes you want to see in your current site and to offer professional options that will make any site perform more optimally and effectively.