2010-11-10

10 Signs That You Need to Update Your Website


1. Perhaps it looks dated now. It might have been at the cutting edge of design several years ago, but like fashion, website trends change, and your site might not portray the right impression of your company anymore.

2. You might want or need new features on your website. If you want to sell online, or want to have additional forms, or want your visitors to be able to submit their own content, then you'll need to make the necessary changes to your website.

3. You'll want to make sure that other sites in your industry or sector are not stealing sales from you by having have better sites. If a competitor has launched a new site, or significantly updated their existing site, do you need to do something as well?

4. If you're selling more or different products, then you might need to update your website accordingly. Perhaps you'll want to offer more pre sales advice, or buying guides so that more visitors become customers. Maybe you're offering finance, or now need to meet other legal requirements.

5. If you want to help your visitors and customers make the most of your products, or help them to choose the right model, then why not add videos to your website? You might also want your visitors to upload their own videos to your site.

6. What other news services could you offer your visitors? What sort of things will they be looking for? What else would make them more likely to buy, or likely to come back? Would a finance or area calculator be useful on your website? What about being able to book online?

7. If your website has grown, and now you want to be able to manage it more easily, then perhaps you'll want a Content Management System, or CMS. This will make updating your site and adding new pages much easier, and mean that you can do it yourself without needing to ask your web design company to make any changes for you.

8. Perhaps you want to take advantage of new technology and web trends. Such as RSS, podcasts, social media integration, etc.

9. Maybe your target audience expects certain things from your industry, or sites selling the products you sell. If you're appealing to teenagers, then you'll want to make sure your site has the things that teenagers want, like sharing content with their friends via social media. If you're appealing to silver surfers, you'll want make to reassure your visitors that it's safe to buy from you.

10. What about if you want to offer your visitors more than just products? Perhaps you might want to think about adding a about a blog, or testimonials, or product reviews, or allow visitors to post their own comments or recommendations.

If you’re looking for some additional suggestions and/or a free consultation, please email me at:  terry@aisoftwareinc.com