Diamonds can be forever, but an IFA website sure isn’t!

Unfortunately for you (although not for designers!), websites go out of date fairly quickly. Indeed, we get our website re-done probably once every couple of years.

The web is moving at a rapid pace, and the pace of change is only accelerating. If your IFA website stands still, it won’t just be left behind. It may very well disappear into obscurity.

How can you tell if it’s time to redesign your IFA website? Here are seven tell-tale signs that the moment has come to make a positive decision:

#1 You’re embarrassed to point people to your URL.

At meetups and business events, do you feel awkward when someone asks what your website address is? You just know it’s poor, and that it would reflect badly on you and your brand if this person saw it.

If that’s how you feel, then it’s time for a refresh. Your IFA website should showcase the best of your brand, and should be a source of pride for your business.

#2 It’s difficult to update it yourself

Have you wanted to post blogs on your own website, but found it a nightmare to do? In the worst cases, we’ve spoken to IFAs who can’t update the site at all themselves.

Modern website like our will be built using a user-friendly content management system (CMS), like WordPress. This doesn’t mean your website is pulled “off the shelf”. It means that your bespoke website will be built on a reliable, easy-to-use framework. This means you won’t be at the mercy of your web designer each time you want to make a change.

#3 It’s slow as hell

If you pull up your IFA website, and it takes ten or more seconds to appear, this is a bad sign. Not only will this put your website visitors off (losing you business opportunities), it will be penalised by Google – who prioritise faster sites. 

#4 It just looks …bad

You know the difference between an old and a fresh website when you see it. It’s like looking at a 10 year old car versus a brand new Tesla. You don’t need to know much about cars to tell which one is fresher and better.

If your IFA website is looking tired, then it needs brightening up. This will create a more positive experience for your users, and therefore encourage brand engagement and conversions.

#5 Visitors don’t hang around

Take a look at your Google Analytics report. How long do people usually stay on your website? How many pages do they look at? Do they browse through your content, or do they take one look at a page and then scatter away?

This is a strong clue that your audience is not engaging with your website or enjoying it. These are potential clients and business opportunities, so it’s pretty urgent you address this.

#6 Your website has low search rankings

When you look at your Webmaster Tools report, what position does your website rank for in the Queries report? Does your website appear at or near the top for user searches, or is it on page 5 or lower?

Search engines are no longer kind to older websites. It likes things like https, mobile friendliness and good schema markup – the staples of a good, modern website.

#7 It doesn’t work well on mobile

If your IFA website isn’t responsive to different screen sizes, then this is a big problem. Google will punish you, and users will dislike you. A mobile-friendly website, however, will delight your users and enourage sales (https://econsultancy.com/reports/user-experience-survey-report).

Are even one of the above true for you? If so, then the longer you leave it the worse the problem will get. On the positive side, the benefits of a new website for your business will do wonders for your brand.

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