In our consulting practice, we’re often called upon to help companies redo their web site(s), or build their first – nothing extraordinary there. What is extraordinary is how often we hear that the primary driver for changing a corporate site is, well, not defined at all. For that reason, when we’re engaging a client in such a project, our first question for them is not “what” (as in what do you want on your web site), it is “why” (as in why do need a web site, or why do you need to change your web site). If you’ve ever found yourself in that position, we offer 5 reasons (or drivers) why it may be time to redo your web site.
1. Your site was designed for you or others in your firm
Unless you, or others in your firm, are your company’s primary customer, why would you spend time, effort, and dollars marketing to yourself? Don’t build sites that you love, build sites that your customers will love. Sounds like common sense, I know, but ask yourself (and answer honestly) whether or not your current site appeals to your customers or to you.
If you find that it’s the latter, no worries, you’re not alone and that you’ve identified the issue is more than half the battle. Now go do something about it!
2. You have a site because your competition has one too
To be clear, I am an advocate for having a web site, especially if your competitors have them. But you should have a web site that’s part of your ongoing business development process, one that you’re actively planning and executing. That is, the “if you build it, they will come” strategy isn’t a strategy.
If you are not doing anything with your web site, start doing something!
3. You haven’t updated your content in the last 30 days
This is an easy one – and often overlooked. Look at your web site’s metrics (we use Google Analytics on all our sites), specifically new vs. returning visitors. The quick regression is this: returning visitors turn into customers, and customers turn into repeat customers. If you’re not giving people a reason to return to your web site, you are missing huge opportunities to generate additional revenue over the long term. In the late-nineties and even into the next decade it was typical to create your web site based on your fancy tri-fold brochure (the set it and forget it approach), but today that’s a recipe for online failure. I’m not suggesting that you need to turn your web site into cnn.com with up-to-the-minute information, but I am suggesting that you need to provide good, valuable content on your web site so that today’s visitors come back next week to see what’s new.
If the content on your web site today is the same content from last year, create new content!
4. Your web site does not consistently generate sales leads
Your web site should be the center of your firm’s marketing universe. A good web site will help you measure all your marketing activities and provide concrete evidence about which should continue and which should be amended (or discontinued).
If your web site is just sitting there not generating leads, why do you need a web site?
5. Your web site isn’t mobile friendly
You can choose to ignore mobile, but you may do so at your own peril. The average visitor to a corporate web site arrives and leaves in less than 10 seconds. That’s it – we have zero patience online! Bad news – it’s even worse on the mobile web, so make sure your site is accessible on mobile browsers.
If your web site isn’t readable (and fast) on a mobile device, go mobile!
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