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All good things must come to an end…to be made even better!
At designdough, we love being able to communicate effectively with our clients, and one of the ways we do this best is through our personable exterior and colloquial tone. Fear not, that will not disappear – but we’ve turned 15 now. We’ve moved into our new space and we’re ready and rearing for a new chapter. We’re bursting at the seams, and growing out of the shoes that have steadily carried us to this moment. It’s time to take things a step further.
Our new website embodies our growth and positions us as the agency we are today. It allows both our personality and expertise to shine through — and we want to share that with you. This website is our chance to showcase why we love doing what we do at designdough, and to invite like-minded people along for the ride.
Before moving on, we’ll address the baby elephant in the room. Yes, we only updated our website in 2019. We say time and time again that you should build a website that can grow with you, so why didn’t our last website grow with us? Why is it already out of date?
Good questions. And the truth is, it could have and it wasn’t. But with a new studio, lots of new team members, refreshed services, and new skill sets on board, we couldn’t bloody resist starting from scratch. We’re finally able to collaborate in person again, and it’s been a dream to work on together. Change is refreshing, and nothing to be afraid of.
But there’s a myriad of reasons one should update their website. ‘Because we just bloody want to’ is just one of them. Which moves us nicely along to you. Is it time for you to update your website? Here are just some of the reasons why the answer to that might be yes.
- Your website no longer reflects your brand values
- Your content management system is unimaginable
- Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
- Your business has grown but your site is the same
- You need to get sales online
- You have new software and want to integrate it into your site
- Your design is out of date
- Your SEO and insights need to be taken seriously
- Your content marketing could to with an overhaul
- Because you just bloody want to
Keep reading as we dig a little deeper into the 10 reasons why you should update your website.
1. Your website no longer reflects your brand values
We all know that your brand is so much more than the products or services that you sell. It is the embodiment of everything you stand for. A brand can be changeable and fluid as time progresses, but your values usually remain strong and stable. After all, your values are the backbone of your brand – reinforced, unmoving, powerful.
We define ‘brand’ as this; your personality and people’s perception of your personality. And one of the best ways to guide audience perception is through your website — your digital home. Whether they mean to land on it or not, your website has the power to make people see and feel who you are and what you stand for just by browsing. An instant connection = real results.
2. Your content management system is unimaginable
If you’re spending your valuable time using a claggy, exhaustive, and slow CMS to update your website, you deserve a medal my friend. You don’t have to tell us how utterly annoying that is, let alone detrimental to your business. The good news is that there is another way. A new website, built properly using a powerful, intuitive, and trustworthy content management system.
Imagine the time you’ll gain and happiness you’ll feel using a website back-end that’s a breeze to update…We don’t mean to brag, but we can supply the goods.
3. Your website isn’t mobile-friendly
It’ll come as no surprise to you that 6.37 billion people own a mobile phone, as of today. That’s about 80.63% of the population — so use it to your advantage! Your website should be able to adapt and change across all devices. No matter how people are reaching you, they should get the full web experience. Engaging, responsive, straightforward, exciting.
4. Your business has grown but your site is the same
Fifteen years ago, we were designing logos and making business cards. Today, we build brands, design and develop websites, write compelling strategies, create engaging content, launch creative campaigns, design packaging, prints, marketing collateral…and we’re super proud of it.
Imagine if our website didn’t reflect the pride we have in our team and what they do day in, day out for clients. Second to that, how would future clients find out about us and what we can do for them?
Your website is your place to brag. Of course, you can do it humbly and authentically. But you should showcase what you’re capable of. Shout it from the rooftops. Give the people what they want.
Businesses and brands grow. They change, advance, evolve. New people come on board, new skillsets are acquired and new services are born. There’s no two ways about it — your website should reflect this growth. We won’t and never will judge you for leaving it behind because we know how easy it is to push it to the bottom of the list. But once you make it a priority — once you own a website you’re proud of, feels like you, and is saying the right things — it’s so rewarding.
5. You need to get sales online
This one’s for the retailers out there. It’s no secret that shops have had it rough these last couple of years — most had to take their in-store products online overnight. Unfortunately, there’s only so much you can do building a website yourself.
Don’t get us wrong, there are some great ways online to build a digital store from your desk, but it’s impossible to give user experience, design, SEO considerations, and usability the time of day when you’re focusing on actually running the business.
Designing and building a bespoke website for your store could be the answer. It’s more expensive, sure, but it’s a worthwhile investment. Giving your brand the digital presence it deserves, and relieving yourself from the burdens of an online store that robs you of time, energy, and potential sales is not something you’ll regret.
6. You have new software and want to integrate it into your site
This one’s pretty straightforward — maybe you want to use a new CRM system or ticketing software, but your current website won’t support it. This is the perfect time to invest in a new, powerful site that can support the tools that will make your life online easier.
7. Your design is out of date
Sometimes, you’re so wrapped up in the day to day of your business, years can go by and whilst your business has evolved, your website has stayed stagnant.
Think about it like this — you could bake the most delicious cake ever but its appearance isn’t quite Paul Hollywood standard. Imagine that cake is your website. You probably have all the content and all the skill there, but the way you present yourself visually could do with a bit of work. Otherwise, nobody who’s new to your baking will want a piece.
Now, you could go whole hog and invest in both a rebrand and a new website (recommended). But there is a way of making an outdated design relevant to today’s audience through a banging website. A little imagination can go a long way.
8. Your SEO and insights need to be taken seriously
A website refresh gives you the opportunity to refresh your SEO efforts. Think keywords, metadata and link-building. Of course, you can retrospectively add these to your website, but sometimes drawing a line and starting from a blank canvas can give you the nudge you need.
Not to mention the difference having a technically sound and safe website back-end can have on SEO. Ultimately, if your user experience and accessibility isn’t up to scratch, then your SEO will suffer. A good looking website will only get you so far — don’t forget about the techy stuff.
And with rankings come users — lots of them — opening the door to valuable insights. From heat mapping, to engagement, to Google Analytics. All of these possibilities become elevated when you have a website that’s prepared to run these tools.
It’s important to remember that your website is how you present your business to the world, but don’t forget that it’s a two-way street. Use your web-users as much as they use you (in the nicest way possible!). When you analyse and evaluate how your website users interact with your website and products, you’ll gain invaluable insight into consumer behaviour. Often, this information is what will take your business to the next level.
9. Your content marketing needs a boost
We live in a tech-savvy world. The days of befuddled parents on smartphones are almost behind us, and that’s great…but it also means businesses need to sharpen their marketing game.
Why? Because consumers now know how to look for information online that will influence their purchasing decisions. Equally, they can spot marketing ploys and phoniness from a mile off. They want more. Your website is your opportunity to create and publish valuable content that will invite users into your story and drive them towards your services or products.
If your current website doesn’t or can’t present your content in a way that lets it shine, it might be time to invest in a new one.
10. Because you just bloody want to
Why? Why not?
Sometimes, you just feel ready for something new. Maybe you simply have the budget to take things a step further online and take your website to the next level.
Your website is an embodiment of everything you’ve worked for. Maybe it’s ‘ok’ as it is, but you know it’s time for a new and updated look. You’re not feeling it anymore. You’re ready to put your website at the forefront of your brand image. You just bloody want to! And why not? Go for it.
In summary…
When it comes to reasons you should update your website, the list is endless. You don’t have to jump the gun today, but certainly have a think about it. Chat to your team about it. Is it holding you back? Does it reflect your business and brand? Is it getting you where you need to be? Does it even work properly? And if you want to talk to us about it, we’re on the other side of the phone.