Having A Website is One of The Easiest Flexes You Can Have For Your Business
A website is the digital storefront of any small business. Whether you are an author trying to promote a book, a restaurant sharing location and menu information, or a boutique, a website can help you sell yourself or your business quickly and effectively. Websites also can be utilized in your marketing strategy as often or as little as you like. In today’s market, potential customers often research businesses online before making a purchasing decision. This means customers are researching where to go for coffee, who to go to help with their taxes, or what book they should read next. Without a well-designed, functional website, businesses risk losing credibility and missing out on valuable leads
Here are a few key reasons why a website is essential for small businesses:
- 24/7 Accessibility: Unlike a physical store, a website is always available to showcase products, services, and business information. Customers can learn about a business at any time, even outside regular hours.
- Credibility and Trust: A professional website enhances brand credibility. Studies show that 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design (Stanford Web Credibility Research).
- Lead Generation & Sales: A website acts as a sales tool, capturing leads through forms, appointment scheduling, and e-commerce transactions. Without one, small businesses miss out on potential revenue.
- Competing in the Digital Marketplace: Competitors are online, and customers expect businesses to have a web presence. A website ensures that a business stays relevant and discoverable in search engines.
- Marketing & SEO Benefits: A well-optimized website helps businesses rank in search engines like Google, driving organic traffic. It also integrates with digital marketing strategies such as social media, email marketing, and paid ads.
The great thing about websites is their ability to do the heavy lifting for you. A well designed website can meet all of these benefits on its own for at least 3-5 years before needing a refresh. This gives you the freedom to determine how much energy and effort you put into your website on a weekly or monthly basis. Now depending on your business goals and needs, you may find yourself wanting to update your website’s content or imagery more than your fellow competitors. This is completely dependent on your niche and strategy.
Don’t Let Your Website Go Stale
Why Periodic Website Updates Matter
Technology, design trends, and user expectations are constantly changing. What worked for a website five years ago may no longer be effective today. Regular website updates ensure that businesses stay competitive, provide a seamless user experience, and maintain security. Keep in mind, we are not talking about the required website updates that help keep your website running smoothly. Instead, we are referring to a larger review of the website in terms of design and technology alignment. In the digital space, we find common CRMs like HubSpot, Dubsado, Mailchimp, Google Analytics and other integrations tend to undergo larger upgrades in this time frame. In order to keep your workflows and technology running smoothly, website redesigns are essential.
Signs You Need a Website Refresh (Minor Updates & Tweaks)
If your site still works but needs small improvements to keep up with trends, branding, or user expectations, a refresh is a smart move. Use the checklist below to help you decide if a refresh is right for you and your website.
Website Refresh Checklist
✓ Does your website look older than your competitors?
✓ Has your content or imagery been updated in the last 6 – 12 months?
✓ Does your site feel cluttered or hard to navigate?
✓ Do your images or graphics look outdated or pixelated?
✓ Do the fonts, colors, or branding feel inconsistent?
Your Branding Has Changed
✓ Do you have a new logo, colors or messaging that is not reflected on your site?
✓ Has your target audience changed?
✓ Have your customers been asking you a lot more questions? Is this information available on your website?
Your Website Loads Slowly
✓ Does your website take a while to load compared to your competitors?
✓ Have any of your customers complained about your website’s performance?
✓ If you have any analytics on your website, are you noticing really high bounce rates or low time-on-page?
Small Usability Issues Exist
✓ Do your customers call you and tell you they couldn’t find your pricing or product online?
✓ Is it clear what pages are available in your navigation? i.e. Our Work vs. View Showcase
✓ Are you noticing any buttons or forms not working or going anywhere when you click on them?
✓ Can your customers find your phone number, location, contact us form, product/service quickly?
Signs You Need a Full Website Redesign (Major Overhaul Needed)
If your site has major usability issues, outdated technology, or doesn’t support your business goals, it’s time for a full redesign. Use this checklist when looking through your website. If you are a new business or are not comfortable asking your customers for feedback, you can always reach out to a friend or family member to get their feedback.
If you prefer the pdf version, feel free to print our
Website Redesign Checklist
✓ Is your site easy to read and navigate on your phone?
✓ Do you or your customers have to pinch, zoom, or scroll to read content?
✓ Is it easy to tap links, buttons, and menus?
✓ Does your website load quickly on your phone or tablet?
It’s Hard to Update Content
✓ Are you able to update images and text easily on your website?
✓ Has your website been updated in the last 3 – 5 years?
✓ Are you constantly getting alerts or emails that your website needs to be updated?
✓ Is updating your website daunting or overwhelming?
✓ Has it been more than 12 months since you updated a plugin or website theme?
✓ Did the functionality change on your website since you made the update? Is it harder or easier to make changes?
Your Business Has Changed
✓ Did you change the products, services or locations your business provides? Is this reflected on your website?
✓ Have you updated your logo, business cards, signage recently? Does your website match your new branding?
✓ Do your customers know what your business is about?
✓ Do you look at your competitors and wish you had a website like theirs?
SEO & Conversions Are Suffering
✓ If you have analytics, has the number of visitors on your website gone down?
✓ Are you noticing fewer inquiries, bookings or sales?
If you are not sure whether you need a redesign or a refresh, think of your website like a tire. Do you need to patch the tire and keep driving, like a refresh, or do you need to replace the whole tire, like a redesign?
If overall, you are feeling pretty good about your website, you like the look and feel of it, the structure and layout still works for you, and you can still make changes to your website with ease, then go with a refresh. Patch the tire.
If overall, you are noticing more questions from your customers, a decrease in sales, your brand or offerings not accurately reflected, it might be time to replace the tire and go with a redesign.
The Benefits of a Website Refresh or Redesign
A website refresh (minor updates) or redesign (major overhaul) can provide significant advantages for small businesses and entrepreneurs. A well-optimized website not only looks great but also improves usability, search rankings, and customer engagement. Here’s why it’s worth the investment:
- Better User Experience – Easier navigation leads to more conversions.
- Improved SEO – Faster, mobile-friendly sites rank higher on Google.
- Stronger Brand Presence – A modern site builds trust and credibility.
- Higher Engagement & Sales – A well-optimized site turns visitors into customers.
When to Plan Your Website Refresh or Redesign
Depending on your needs, you may want to think about when it would be the right time to take on this project. Based on how you answer the following questions, you can create a rough timeline on when its best to make the changes or launch your website. If you are working with a web designer, be sure to share this information to help coordinate and plan your go-live of your website.
Ask Yourself:
✓ When is my slow season (e.g., post-holiday for retail, summer for some service industries)?
✓ Can I afford some disruption (e.g., website downtime, limited marketing efforts)?
✓ Would updating now prevent issues during my busiest time?
✓ Will I be launching a new product or service soon?
Next Steps: Get a Website Audit
Still not sure if your site needs a refresh or full redesign? You can purchase a website audit and get a detailed report on your website’s health, performance, and areas for improvement. We can help you answer some of these questions and give you the best course of action based on the results.