The rapid pace of change in the Internet marketing industry makes it hard for business owners and executives to know when it’s time to update their business website… or overhaul it completely. For some, it’s a matter of keeping up with competitors, which means frequent changes and new designs. Others like to wait until they absolutely need to make a change, since websites get outdated quickly and can be expensive.
Unfortunately, neither approach is ideal, since it can cost a lot of money to constantly change your site, while waiting too long always leaves you at a competitive disadvantage. So, when should you actually refresh or renovate your business website?
There are no hard and fast answers, of course, but here are some guidelines that can help you make the right decisions:
At a minimum, you should review your business website once a year. In that time, it’s likely that best practices will have changed a little bit, and at least some of your competitors will move forward. If nothing else, you might want to hear about what new ideas and techniques can help your business grow.
Consider changes to your site if your business has changed significantly. If you have new products, a new market, new customers, etc., then it’s probably time to change your website. That’s because your site is always out of date if it hasn’t kept up with your business.
It’s also a good idea to look at upgrades if you have fallen behind your competitors. Sometimes, it isn’t that anything is changing within your company, but within your market. If all of your competitors have improved websites, then it might be time to make a new investment in your Internet marketing strategy.
A new website can accompany changes in traffic or e-commerce patterns. Put simply, if customers have stopped dropping by – or stopped placing orders – then that might be a clear sign that you need a stronger website to keep growing (or just keep up).
Sometimes, you just know when it’s time for a new site. Often, the decision to upgrade your business website comes from a gut feeling. Even if you can’t put a finger on it, you might know that your site is out of date, or isn’t reaching its full potential.
You don’t need a new business website every six months, but the longer you put off needed changes and improvements, the bigger and more costly the job is going to be when you finally do commit to something new.
If you aren’t sure whether you need a new site or not, call or email the Brew City Marketing team today to set up a free consultation.
