Your business’ website is vitally important for its success or failure.
These days the internet is rapidly becoming the dominant method of how we communicate, do business, manage our personal lives, shop, and more.
For example, people have started to opt for online shopping instead of going to bricks and mortar stores – mainly because of the ease and added variety. Consumers are also using business websites to guide them in whether or not they decide to purchase a product. A website contains a multitude of information about any business, all of which can come in handy for a potential customer.
For small business owners, creating a website which ticks all the right boxes is even more important. As an SME, particularly one which is just starting out, surviving in the business world can be a challenge. Limited funds or cash flow leaves little room for mistakes. Small business owners are also often competing with larger or medium-sized companies which puts more pressure on them to be competitive. As a business owner you surely have a website up online, but are you maintaining it? Here are some of signs it’s time to update your website.
Bounce Rate Has Increased
The bounce rate measures the number of visitors who leave your website after visiting a page, usually the landing page. A high bounce rate indicates that those visitors were not interested in what you had to show them. Though the bounce rate does vary depending on the type of website, business owners should always aim for low bounce rates. A single-page visit will probably not be enough for visitors to purchase your products. If you notice that visitors aren’t staying on your website, do some research into why in order to work out how to turn this around.
Your Website Doesn’t Resonate With Your Brand
It can be difficult to ensure that your website and your brand are in sync, but it’s also something that is critically important. When visitors browse through a website but cannot get a feel of the brand, they will lose interest. While the website needs to fit certain criteria so that it can function as an online store, pay attention to other factors which can turn your website into a brand. If you are not sure of how to do this, read this article.
The Structure Is Confusing
When customers visit a website, they expect things to be totally clear. This means that the navigation bar should be easy to locate, allowing visitors to find what they’re looking for. Furthermore, the call to action must also be obvious.
To set their website apart, often small business owners end up creating websites that miss the mark completely. Several e-commerce platforms are currently available to help you build your website and small business owners can use this website builder expert guide to create an online store which will bring results!
The Content Isn’t Updated Regularly
Are your employees too busy managing other things, leaving them with no time to manage the website? If so, then you must fix this immediately. Though the structure and design of your website matter greatly, so does the content. Firstly, if the content on your website is boring or difficult to follow, there is no way that your conversion rates will go up. Secondly, if your website has old or outdated information your customers will face difficulties in trying to get in touch with your company and they will get discouraged. This will again lead to a decreased conversion rate. Ensure that your content is interesting and clear. You can find more tips on increasing conversion rates here.
Your Site Isn’t Easily Accessible On Other Devices
This can be a major deciding factor in the effectiveness of your website. The number of people using mobile phones is increasing exponentially. We use our mobiles for everything, including shopping online. A website which doesn’t have a mobile responsive design can be a serious setback for small business owners causing them to lose out on important customers. Create a website that can be used with the same ease on a mobile as it can on a laptop.
The Website Doesn’t Have Links To Social Media
Social media marketing is also increasing in popularity owing to the extensive amount of time people spend on social media. Your website should have links to your social media accounts, allowing browsers to visit those accounts or share your website. There are honestly more chances of customers visiting your social media accounts regularly, rather than your website. By encouraging customers to follow your social media accounts, you increase the chance of them becoming long-term customers.
Small business owners put in the same amount of effort and time into their business as large business owners, if not more. However, dealing with technical affairs such as website creation and handling can be tough. Make sure you have the resources to do so as it plays a major part in your profitability.
