You know that feeling when someone asks for your website link and you internally cringe a little bit?
That was me for sooo long.
And although I will never claim that a new website will cure all your insecurities or imposter syndrome, I’m saying from experience that it does help numb the symptoms a little bit.
At the very least, a new website is going to help your target clients find a way to work with you easily. This is key for making sales, growing your brand, and all around just being nice to the person on other side of the screen.
If you’re reading this, it probably means you *just know* something has got to change with your website. This post will help you see the picture of your brand clearly, and give you some insight for creating your brand’s new digital home.
How do I know if I need a new website?
When I say “new website” this doesn’t necessarily mean new domain, name, design, hosting, and the whole enchilada…
Although I’ve been there too.
Sometimes you need a fresh slate. If your business has drastically changed or you’re starting a new business, it might be best to scrap everything so you get a clear lens on what your brand needs.
However, if you’re not ready to throw everything out, getting a “new” website or a website refresh usually comes down to these two things:
- Copy: The messaging and words on your website that define your brand and sells your products or services.
- Design: The visual and functional aspects of your website. Sometimes a new site design will also mean you’re switching to a better hosting platform for your goals.
Getting a new website doesn’t mean you have to do both copy and design, but these two elements together??? Oh mah gah….
Strategic, professional copy and design will honestly give your brand and website a Princess-Diaries-level makeover. You’re going to be sending your link to everyone, from your network to your mom’s book club, with enthusiasm and pride.
Ok, so a lot goes into deciding refresh these elements, and even though the ROI can be huge, it is still an investment. Here are the signs you need a new website, whether that’s copy, design, or both.
Signs you need a new website
1. You have a high bounce rate
Your bounce rate is the percentage of people who only visit one page of your website and immediately click off.
If you have a high bounce rate, that’s not good. It means that people either don’t know what to do when they get on your website, or they aren’t interested enough to stay and explore. If they aren’t sticking around, they definitely won’t be buying from you.
A bounce rate of 40% or less is ideal. The internet is the land of short attention spans. People are not charitable when they’re searching for an answer to their problems. So if you’re seeing that a lot of your traffic is “bouncing” off your site, you’ll definitely want to get to the bottom of it.
2. Your website doesn’t reflect your value or expertise
Maybe I’m biased because my clients are super awesome, but they all seem to really care that their website reflects the benefits of working with them and the value of their services.
When I’m working with my clients, I often talk about creating the “heck yes” factor for their website.
The “heck yes” factor is when a potential client is looking at your website, comparing it to your competitors, seeing how your site measures, then immediately saying “oh heck yes, this is the one for me.”
And just a little spoiler here: for most of my clients, this isn’t hard. Regardless of their industry, it’s not that hard to create a website that is significantly better than their competitors.
I’m being so real here, you would be shocked at how many industries settle for having mediocre websites!
So when your website clearly communicates your value and expertise, making sales is going to be a piece of cake (especially when you’re compared to your competitors.)
3. Your design is outdated
Were you marketing online in 2016? I certainly was.
Not that I knew what I was doing, but then, I didn’t really need to.
These days, your design is definitely going to be a contributor to your sales. And if your site is still looking like it’s stuck in 2016, that isn’t going to be inspiring much confidence in your visitors.
When you work with a professional web designer, they are going to have your back to make sure your design supports your goals. They’re not just going to make it look trendy for the current moment in time.
It’s not vital to have the trendiest, most sophisticated website out there, but you should make sure that your design isn’t detracting from the value and expertise you provide.
4. Your website doesn’t provide a good user experience
Speaking of design, a huge benefit to revamping your web design is improving your user experience.
As a website copywriter, this is something I heavily weigh in on. Especially as I wireframe all my website copy projects, the user experience is equally important to me as the copy and story we’re telling.
Here are some of the most common user experience mistakes people make on their websites:
- Not mobile friendly: Mobile traffic makes up about 60% of all traffic these days. If your design and user experience isn’t set up for mobile optimization, you’re missing out on making those connections and conversions.
- Your website is difficult to navigate: Sometimes you don’t know what good navigation looks like until someone points it out to you. For example, have you strategically thought about what to include (and exclude) in your main navigation menu? This contributes to your UX, and should be backed by strategy.
- Your website contains warnings: Do your users get warning popups when they get to your site? If so, yikes. Get that fixed so you can appear trustworthy and reliable.
- Your site loads slowly: Google doesn’t want to send people to a slow website, and your users won’t stick around if it takes forever for your pages to load.
A designer or developer can help you get some of these issues fixed, which could really help set your new website up for success.
5. Your conversion rate is low
If you are getting traffic to your website, but low or no inquiries, that means your conversion rate is low.
I won’t lie to you, if your conversion rate is low on your website, it’s time to get that thing some profesh help.
Not getting any sales isn’t just inconvenient, it’s literally costing you money.
At any given time, 3%-5% of your audience is ready to engage or buy from you. For this reason, 3%-5% conversion rates are excellent numbers to shoot for! If you’re not getting at least that, you’re leaving money on the table.
If getting a new website will mean you can optimize your site for conversions, and your offer is good, it means your investment is almost guaranteed to pay for itself.
6. Your competitors have significantly better websites
Like I mentioned when we were talking about the “heck yes” factor, in my experience, this is not a hard thing to accomplish.
So, if you’re finding that your competitors are actually creating significantly better websites all of a sudden, it should mean you’ve got some work to do.
For many web designers and copywriters, the competition is pretty steep. We have to have an excellent website to stand out, simply due to the nature of our work.
So if your industry indicates that a superb website is a priority, you’ve got to match that to keep up with (and hopefully surpass) your competition.
7. Your site can’t be found on Google
I get it if SEO isn’t your priority on your first website. However, if you’ve grown your business, have solid offers, and plenty of social proof, you’re probably doing people a disservice if you can’t be found on Google.
If this is the case, it’s a good idea to get SEO help, or work with a web designer or copywriter who understands how to optimize your site for SEO.
SEO can be intimidating, but the rewards are pretty significant, so at some point it will definitely make sense to optimize your site for search engines.
8. You’re rebranding or expanding your business
Not a lot of people have it in the budge to get custom web design or copy for their business’s first website, so if you’ve grown enough to where you feel it’s time to rebrand your business or expand your offers, you’re probably going to need a new website to match.
This goes back to properly communicating your value and expertise. When your business grows, make sure your digital communication (your website) can properly match it.
9. You’re ready to be the best in your industry
I love it when I get on a discovery call or kickoff call and realize I’m working with the “real deal” of that industry.
My clients are good at communicating exactly why they are the best in their industry. I love putting this picture together and realizing that creating that “heck yes” factor is going to be sooo easy.
And maybe you’re thinking “Delaney, surely not all your clients are the best in their industry? What are the chances of that, honestly?”
Here’s the thing: If you’re the best in your industry, you’re not going to be cutting corners on your website.
You’re probably going to be researching and reaching out to professionals to help you make sure you’re communicating your value clearly and effectively.
Experts care about the details. They know it’s the hundreds of tiny things you do consistently that eventually add up to a successful business. So they tend to reach out to specialists to take advantage of their expertise.
So if you’re ready to be the best in your industry, get some help, whether that’s custom web copy, or simply an audit to make sure your DIY work is supporting your goals.
Ready to take your website to the next level?
By now, you’re probably realizing that your website is never done for good. You have to make sure it’s running properly, providing a good user experience, and updated frequently enough to match your goals.
If you want to stay up to date on all things websites, sales, and copywriting, here’s what you can do:
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