How Often Should I update My Website?

When it comes to updating your website, there are no rules. That might seem slightly redundant but the truth is you just need to be aware of what your industry is doing online and compete. There is no harm in taking a look at web design latest trends and seeing if that could apply to the face of your business. However, the website you had five years ago will not suit your online presence in today’s mobile driven world. So it is important when to know if you just need to update a few bits or if you need to rebuild your entire website.

Why would I redesign my website but not rebuild it?

A multiplicity of factors can make a redesign worth considering, but here are several that almost always require an update.

• You have updated your colour scheme and therefore need to apply this to your website.
• Your bounce rates are high, meaning people visit but they do not interact in the way your business requires them to but a well-planned redesign can turn this around.
• Your business has grown you need to add new products and services to your website.
• Your customers complain about your site, claiming that it looks outdated or doesn’t work well.

What developments might require me to design and build my website from scratch?

• If your current site doesn’t adapt to mobile devices then this is something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. This is because of search engines and how they rank websites and being mobile friendly is an important fact if you want to rank well.
• Another would be if your site was originally built using Flash: Apple’s iPads and iPhones don’t support Flash. That’s reason enough to rebuild, but there’s another reason: Flash can slow your site down.

Where do I get ideas and inspiration for the latest web trends?

Like with most things in this world the web design and development industry is ever evolving. With each industry there would be a new trend so the best bet is to ask your web design agency. They will be able to tell you what is out there and what your industry is doing – they will even be able to help you say in front of the trends too!

Another great way to discover the latest trends is to follow the lead of sites like Apple.com, Amazon.com, ebay.com and Google.com. You might have noticed that these sites rarely do complete redesigns or rebuilds but instead make smaller changes over time. They do this for a few different reasons, they have found what works for them online and therefore making huge changes will affect their users so making smaller changes really helps with this factor. So if you have found something that works for your business online then this would be the best way to make your changes – slow and steady wins the race! Alternatively you could involve your customers/audience – get their feedback and let them know you are making changes to your website.