As we continue to navigate these tricky times, you may be thinking as a business how best to reconnect with your existing customers and reach new ones. As in-person business is likely to be challenging for some time to come, your website is even more of a vital tool to promote your services and products and re-establish yourself in the marketplace.

That’s why having a modern-looking, easy-to-use and responsive website is more important than ever. You may already have a social media presence, but your website is the anchor for any marketing strategy and shows you are open for business even during uncertain times.

Here are 7 reasons to update your website now.

1. It’s an opportunity to reassess your business

We’ve all had to learn to adapt during these challenging times. Refreshing your website provides the ideal opportunity to take a deep-dive into your business and assess your goals and strategies in a changing business environment.

Think of the redesign of your site as moving house: the change allows you to see what should be removed, what’s good enough to keep and what improvements you want to make.

2. Your website looks old and tired

Most customers do research online before making a purchase, so your website has to be attractive, engaging and informative to attract and keep their attention. Good first impressions rely on good design. Even if your content is great, it’s thrown away if it’s buried in a poor layout.

A tired or messy looking site is hard to navigate and suggests you’re unprofessional and haven’t moved with the times. You need a design that combines a consistent message with a modern image to build a sense of quality and trustworthiness. A professional web designer can help you with this.

3. Your content and messaging are out of date

Your blogs, articles, product descriptions and general information can establish your authority and expertise, but they can just as easily tarnish your brand if they are awkwardly written or out of date. You may have changed your business strategy or are considering a repositioning in the market. It’s essential that your website reflects these changes too.

Having fresh and compelling content not only establishes your brand as an informative and trustworthy presence, but also helps in establishing the authenticity and authority that improves rankings in search engines. A professional copywriter can ensure your content is updated with well-written, focused copy that reflects the quality of your brand and supports your targeted messaging and business goals.

4. Your site is hard to navigate and doesn’t function properly

Web design does not only consider the look and content of your site, it also ensures that all the features on the website are functioning properly. A site that offers a frustrating user experience, whether it’s a shopping cart that’s too complex or a page that doesn’t display properly, undermines a business’s credibility and can lose customers.

5. You can’t update your website easily

Outdated content does not play well with search-engine rankings. However, regular updates and informative information do, as search engines regard websites with the most recent content as the most relevant to web users. Good content also differentiates you from your competitors, whether it’s through blogs, guides, videos or tutorials. Your current website may not make it easy to add new content to attract and keep customers engaged.

In refreshing your website, a web designer can make sure it’s supported by a content management system (CMS) that means you can make changes when you want and at no extra cost. By updating your offering periodically, you’ll encourage people to revisit your site and sustain its search-engine ranking.

6. Your website is not mobile-friendly

Consumers invariably search online before making a purchase and do so via a variety of devices. If your website doesn’t display or function well on a desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone, you’ll lose customers. In whatever way consumers choose to access your site, they want a seamless experience and be able to share what they’ve found with friends and colleagues. Google will also lower rankings of any websites that are not responsive.

7. It anchors your digital marketing

Your website is the primary source of online research for consumers so it’s important to invest in it.

You may already have a social media presence, whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram, but you’re relying on third-party platforms to build your online presence. Your website gives you complete control in how you establish your visibility online while social media can drive customers back to your site.

As the above reasons for an online refresh of your brand show, it’s important to see your website as an investment in the future. Like any business and marketing strategies, it must move with the times and support your changing needs and priorities. Is your current website doing that?

If it's time your website was updated and refreshed, contact us today to discuss how we can help.