Is Your Website Outdated?
Are you in need of modern web design in Buckinghamshire and beyond? Your website is one of your most essential marketing tools. Here potential customers can find information about your business and products or services 24/7. However, the online world moves at a fast pace. Website scope evolves rapidly. And the needs of your target audience are forever changing. Once upon a time, the only way to make a sale was from your office or shop, in person. Today we place orders at the press of a button, online, on the go, day or night!
Modern Web Design Buckinghamshire
If you intend to build your business presence online, your website must serve your audience, and it must deliver. As your website ages, technology and content become less relevant. It becomes slower. Search engines favour newer, quicker sites that utilise modern coding and design techniques. Fewer people find your site. Engagement is low. The bounce rate is high. You receive fewer enquiries. Your sales reduce.
Businesses don’t often realise the importance of keeping up with modern web design techniques. If they do, they are often too busy to implement the necessary changes. We are Cyber Sushi Design, web designers and internet marketers with over 20 years of experience, based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. We are here to tell you that a modern web design makes a business look trustworthy. It will perform well in search engines and convert visitors into customers. Let us explain the signs that your website needs updating.
1. Your website doesn’t have HTTPS enabled
Since 2018, Google has been classifying websites that have not enabled HTTPS as ‘not secure’. This means that if your website is still operating as an HTTP website, it will be considered outdated. Visitors are unlikely to trust your site. And your organic SEO rankings will be affected. This is a simple issue to resolve. Speak to your web developer or hosting company and ask them to install a Secure SSL Certificate.
2. Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
These days we are all slaves to our mobile phones. We while away any spare moments scrolling our phones. Consuming news headlines, browsing social media, doing our shopping, booking activities and more. Websites are so easy to use on our mobile phones these days it has become an expectation.
In 2019, Google enabled mobile-first indexing as default for all websites. As such, if a site isn’t mobile-friendly, we all see it as an indicator of an outdated site.
3. Your website loads slowly
These days websites run much faster than in the past. So, when internet browsers encounter slow loads times, they click away in favour of your competitors. To establish how quickly your web pages load, enter your URL into the Google PageSpeed Insights tool. This will help you address what it is that’s slowing down your website.
4. Your website has no recently added content
If the last blog post you submitted was in 2018, today’s visitors are unlikely to stick around to read old news! While others might suspect your business is no longer operating. By keeping content updated and posting educational, entertaining content regularly, your business builds engagement with potential customers. This sends the message that your business is functioning and up-to-date with the latest news and trends.
5. Your website doesn’t make correct use of social media icons
There are two parts to this point. Firstly, if you don’t display social media icons linking to your profiles, you’re doing your business an injustice. Secondly, your website is showing its age if you display out of date social media icons. This includes those of platforms that no longer exist, for example, Google+.
6. Your website address ends in .php or .html
Sites that end in .php or .HTML can still rank well. However, they are a significant indication of an outdated site. Dating back to around the time Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
7. Your website uses an image gallery
There hasn’t always been an alternative to image galleries. But these days there is no excuse to use them. Image galleries slow down the speed of your pages, which we have already established is detrimental to the health of your website. Instead, you should upload images directly to your web pages or embed them from your social media profiles.
8. Your content makes use of keyword stuffing
Once upon a time, keyword stuffing was a thing. Just getting your keywords into the text was a win in the eyes of the SEO gods. But today, search engines are more sophisticated and prefer you to talk to your audience using keywords structured as part of cohesive sentences.
9. Your website makes use of old technology
Still making use of old technology is a telling sign of an outdated site? Flash was popular around the time England beat Australia in the Rugby World Cup final. But the internet has since moved on. And Flash is no longer supported. However, shockingly it is still in use among many websites across the internet, showing its true age.
10. Your website displays an outdated copyright date
We’re certain it’s an oversight, but many sites that display a Copyright © disclaimer in the footer often don’t contain the relevant year. This can be a telling sign of the age of a site or simply a lack of attention to detail. Just a simple consideration when you’re looking to give your website a refresh.
How Cyber Sushi Design Can Help
If you feel your website is outdated and needs a modern makeover, Cyber Sushi Design can help you through the website refresh process.
- We conduct a thorough audit of your current website.
- Determine shortcomings and opportunities for improvement.
- Develop mobile-friendly websites.
- Create a modern look and user experience in line with Google’s guidelines and SEO best practices.
- Ensure your website meets the necessary quality standards and user experience.
Outdated Web Design?
Do you suspect that your website is outdated? Don’t let an ageing site keep you from maximising organic traffic, conversions and sales. Get in touch with Cyber Sushi Design for more information about our Buckinghamshire based web design services. Call us today on 01494 356 778!
