From mastering homemade bread to dusting off the family bikes, there have been some upsides to lockdown life. Many of our clients have told us it’s given them the perfect opportunity to review and refresh their website.

It’s one of those jobs that, ordinarily, struggles to reach the top of the to-do list. But now, while many of us have a bit more ‘headspace’, it’s a great time to step back and take stock of things.

Here are seven signs your website might be in need of an upgrade:

1. It no longer reflects your brand. When brands evolve, websites often get left behind. Whenever your imaging or messaging changes, or whenever you’re targeting a new group of customers, it’s vital your website is updated to match.
2. It doesn’t attract the right clients. From colours and fonts, to images and wording, everything about your site must reflect the kind of person or company you want to do business with.
3. It’s out of date. Whether it’s a lack of cutting-edge functionality, or simply a dated look and feel, a retro website does your business no favours. Older functionality may also put your website at risk of loading slowly, being incompatible with the latest browsers, or even being hacked.
4. It’s not user friendly. Can visitors find the information they need? Does the site flow intuitively? How easy is it to complete a transaction? The slightest roadblock can send potential customers bouncing off elsewhere. Which brings us to…
5. It has a high bounce rate. Check out Google Analytics to discover your website’s bounce rate. Any higher than 40–60% is a clear sign something is turning visitors off.
6. It lacks fresh content. Regularly adding things like articles, case studies and testimonials shows that your business is active and engaged – and helps boost your search rankings.
7. It doesn’t inspire action. Your website should keep those leads flooding in. For that, it needs compelling calls-to-action that make it clear what the reader should do next.

An effective website is a powerful marketing tool, and a must-have for any business. So if your website could use a little nip and tuck, or a head-to-toe makeover, get OCTOPUS on the case. We’ll review your site’s current design and content, and work with you to create a website that drives your business forward.