Websites for local companies have progressed from an optional feature to a business necessity, and IMPACT has a the reputation of providing industry-leading website design in Connecticut. There is a simple rule of business that applies to websites as well; the 80-20 rule. This states that the top 80% of industry revenue produced through websites is driven by only 20% of the websites. So, how do you get into the top 20% and stay there?  Knowing when to upgrade your website is one of the primary factors to establishing a top online reputation. Let’s talk about the three simple ways to know when it is time to upgrade your site:

Website Performance

From slow-loading websites to broken links, faulty navigation menus to non-user-friendly content, if there are a performance problems with your website you are hindering bottom-line revenue numbers. A user should have a stress-free experience that is informative, engaging, and interactive without the lengthy load times and/or content errors. Thinks about it like this: If you are a customer visiting your website, you go to click on a product link and it takes 15 seconds to load the information. Would you wait that time, or would you rather buy from another website?  If you answered honestly, you probably said that you would buy from another site which means that your company just lost revenue. The solution to this…upgrade.

Website Compatibility

Web browsers and search engines change frequently; most often on a monthly basis. With these updates of the browsers comes different bugs and means of reading websites. If your site was originally designed during the age of Internet Explorer(IE) 5, there is a strong chance that IE 7 and 8 will not read the site properly. Along with this, the newer browsers will most likely not be able to read your site either. Take a second, and download the various browsers out there (they are free and this is worth your time):

After you have downloaded these browsers, take a minute to plug in your site’s URL and review the content. There is a significantly high chance that if you have an older site that there is at least one browser that does not allow your site to be read appropriately. If the user is not able to properly view the site, it is (once again) revenue lost. The solution to this…upgrade.

Layout + Content = Website Experience

Humans are innately visual creatures. We are drawn to certain colors, unique designs, and overall fluid layouts. Some, if not all, older website designs are harsh on the eyes and will have a negative impact on user experience. Negative user experiences result in loss of revenue for your company. The same holds true for content. If content is outdated and/or not targeting the language used with your niche audience you are losing revenue. The general idea behind this is to give the user the best experience with your website as possible. Your goal is to efficiently allow your visitors to find the information they were looking for and go beyond their point of expectations. If your clients are not getting the great user experience that they deserve (and they feel they deserve), they will click away from your site and you have just lost revenue. The solution…upgrade.

Overall, websites do not have to be upgraded on a weekly basis. In fact, your layout will (in all likelihood) not have to be upgraded on a monthly basis. However, knowing when the opportune time to upgrade your site is essential to staying in the top 20% of online revenue producers within your niche market. Keep in mind to monitor your website performance, your website compatibility, and your website user experience. If you feel that you are losing any amount of revenue throughout those three areas then it is high-time you contact IMPACT to upgrade your website. Remember, the reward of upgrading your website significantly outweighs the risk of losing business revenue.