As businesses the world over strive to contend with a constantly shifting digital landscape, the inherent value of owning a well-maintained, modern company website is perhaps more obvious than ever before.
Failing to make a successful transition online is a factor that resulted in many small businesses struggling to stay afloat in the midst of a testing time in world history. Even with their digital affairs in order, there is still a chance that a post-pandemic environment will not offer the sustainability they dreamt of.
However, it is not all doom and gloom, and there are certainly many opportunities waiting to be seized in a virtual capacity.
If you had a vague suspicion that your own company website could do with a spring clean, a touch of modernizing, or a complete overhaul, it might be worth thinking about the potential perils of failing to stay up-to-date.
For those of you who might need that extra convincing, here are some of the many cons of an outdated website (and how to avoid them becoming a big issue).
A Decrease in New Customers
If you ever find yourself at a loss as to why no new customers are flocking to your products or services, you will likely be aware that this is a highly frustrating position to be in.
Your website is one of the first points of contact between you and many potential customers. In a similar fashion to making the physical storefront as enticing as possible, ample time should be spent on the digital equivalent.
It can be easy to fall out of touch with what makes a desirable modern design, often without even knowing it. Scaring away your customers before they even have a chance to interact with your business can be a very real occurrence, so taking steps to beautify your online aesthetic is often essential.
This is just one of many aspects that can be improved on by reaching out to a web design agency like ALT Agency can help you out should you want to get your hands on some expert guidance.
Word of mouth can be a fantastic marketing prospect, but it can work both ways. If customers are put off by your website at the very first glance, there might be a likelihood that they paint your good company name in a bad light for others, thus reducing the influx of new customers.
Losing Your Edge
Considering the relative ease by which small businesses can now set up their own highly accessible and well-functioning website, there is a good chance that you will start to lose your ability to not only stand out but to compete without conducting regular digital maintenance in the first instance.
Websites are the virtual medium by which plenty of transactions take place, connections are formed, and customers can engage with your brand. If your current site is outdated and difficult to navigate around, there is little to stop them from turning their attention elsewhere.
Moreover, it can help your competition grow, especially if the standards you provide to measure their digital prowess against are fairly easy for them to meet.
At the very least, assessing the accessibility, functionality, and navigational elements of your website should be able to give you some indication as to where to start making changes.
This can be done by yourself, by little more than thoroughly checking out the websites of your competition and comparing how your user experience equates to the one on your own digital storefront.
If you find that your site pales in comparison, an overhaul of the site map and design aesthetic can help regain your edge.
It Can Reflect Badly on Your Products and Services
If your website is hard to deal with, looks dilapidated, or is home to some seriously outdated content, this might reflect negatively on your products and services.
When your potential customer is met with a website that belongs to the dawn of the internet, there might be every chance that they will think whatever you have to offer is just as irrelevant and poor-quality.
If the last time the product page was updated was a great number of years ago, this could tell the customer that a business has no interest in what they are selling. Plus, this situation offers the customer little indication of whether or not the products are still available, let alone the best product for the job.
Regularly updating content is a good way to ensure your site does not appear as though it is fallen into a state of neglect. Whether this is by writing frequent blog posts, product reviews, or changing the language used for description processes, websites can thrive when they take current societal concerns and events into consideration.
It may be worth utilizing social media in this regard, as one of its biggest attributes is the chance to extend your reach on a global scale while making sure your brand remains present and fresh in the minds of your followers.
Posting regularly (but not too regularly) about deals, promotions, and offers can help drawn potential customers to your website, and nurturing brand awareness across multiple platforms and mediums is usually a great way of sustaining an all-encompassing market campaign.
A Logistical Nightmare
Long-standing websites devoid of updates can provide a home to a wealth of outdated information. This might prove to be a logistical nightmare for your company, particularly if you have changed phone numbers or addresses or you are advertising products that you no longer sell.
To make your business as accessible as possible for the customer, the contact information on your website should be easy to find, clear and concise, and perhaps most importantly, up-to-date.
By having your details immediately observable from the home page, or a prominent “about us” section, you can ensure that customers know exactly who it is that they are talking to.
There is No Need to Panic
Thankfully, a little market research can go an incredibly long way in the digital age, and the many online avenues to explore will be able to enlighten your website design efforts in no time. There is no need to panic, as changing a website around can be done with speed, quality, and efficiency even if it is a complete overhaul.
