A lot has changed in the past twenty years. Cell phones have become a more important aspect of our everyday lives than anyone ever could have anticipated. Phonebooks have become virtually obsolete in the digital age. Shopping malls are closing because online shopping is taking over.

Technology has changed our lives indefinitely, which means the way we do business and interact with customers has also changed. A responsive, functional website is the key to mastering your initial interaction with customers nowadays, and a poorly designed website could actually be hindering your success.

But how do you know when it’s time to redesign your website? Pittsburgh web design company Responsival is here to break down 10 telltale signs that it’s time to overhaul your site once and for all.

Your website isn’t responsive.

Pittsburgh Web Design Companies Recommend Optimizing for Mobile

As of 2019, 52.6% of website traffic is done from a mobile device. In other words, the vast majority of people are viewing a website on their phones as opposed to desktop computers or tablets. According to Pittsburgh web design companies, this is a major reason why designing a responsive, or mobile-friendly website is important. If your website doesn’t fit and function correctly on mobile, most of your customers will choose a competitor instead. 

This is such a major shift in the web design company that many designers now recommend going a step beyond designing ‘mobile-friendly’ sites and exploring ‘mobile-first’ sites that appeal to mobile users.

Your website has a high bounce rate.

Your Website’s Analytics Tell Your Website Redesign Story

The whole point of having a website is providing visitors with valuable information that helps them take the next step with your business: contacting you, buying a product, or stopping in at your store. The bounce rate is the metric that represents the percentage of people who view only one page on your site then leave. If a high percentage of people are leaving your site after viewing only one page, this could be an indication of a difficult to navigate site, an unprofessional site, or a site that doesn’t provide enough information.

A bounce rate in the range of 26 to 40 percent is excellent. 41 to 55 percent is roughly average. 56 to 70 percent is higher than average, but may not be cause for alarm depending on the website. Anything over 70 percent is alarming for sites outside of blogs, news, and events. 

You’re losing touch with your brand.

Pittsburgh Web Design Experts Refresh Sites with Branding in Mind

It’s easy to tell the difference between a very good site and a lackluster sight — after all, it only takes about 50 milliseconds for a user to make a decision about whether they’ll stay or leave your website. It’s important to let your brand shine through your website the right way. You do this with a balance of personality and professionalism, a clear color scheme, and imagery that properly reflects your brand. The most effective sites reflect your brand, its mission, and services effectively, sparking interest in what your business can provide to the consumer.

You’re receiving fewer calls.

The Pittsburgh Web Design Experts Can Help You Reclaim Your Leads

In an age where a traditional phonebook is virtually obsolete, websites and other online tools like social media and a Google Business Listing are the phone books of the 21st century. Since 75% of consumers make judgments on a company’s credibility based on the website, it’s important to make sure your website looks professional and has a clear path to helping your audience take important actions on your site like contacting you or completing a lead form. The leading Pittsburgh web design team can help you establish a clear user journey that can maximize your leads and increase sales.

(No offense, but…) Your website is ugly.

Online Users tend to Judge a Book by Its Cover

Studies have shown that 94% of negative feedback about a website is design related. The main goal of Pittsburgh web design companies, as a result, is to make your website as beautiful as it is functional. A quick website refresh — one that focuses on beautifying your website — can help your business look more professional and reputable.

Your menu is a PDF.

Many Restaurants are in Need of a Website Redesign

We’ve all visited a restaurant’s website to check out the menu only to open up a PDF version of the menu. While this technically gets the job done, the best restaurants don’t use a PDF to display their menu; they use a CMS. A CMS makes it easy for your menu to live on your website. Additionally, it allows users to easily sort for items that fit their dietary restrictions. Best of all, it’s super easy to edit or make changes to items when using a CMS.

Your website has no keywords.

Pittsburgh Web Design Experts Use Professional Copywriting to Help You Grow

According to the leaders in Pittsburgh web design, keywords help new customers find your business via organic search. If your website doesn’t rank for many keywords (or ranks for the wrong keywords), it’s likely because you don’t have the right amount of text on your site. A blog is a perfect way to add keywords to your site and establish your company as an industry leader.

Your website links out to another domain for conversions.

Use Pittsburgh Web Design Services to Keep All Actions on Your Site

There are a number of third-party services that companies use for online booking, sales, and form completion. However, there’s no reason that these actions can’t be completed on your site itself. Instead of linking out to online booking and management software like MindBody, Vagaro, Zen Planner, and more, you can enhance your user experience by putting all of this on your own website — and it’s a lot cheaper to do so than you may think.

Your website has a number of broken elements.

Fixing Broken Elements Should be a Priority for All Businesses

We’ve all entered a website only to see that images, interactions, and buttons are broken. These elements not only often lead to a high bounce rate, but can negatively impact your SEO. The leaders in Pittsburgh web design recommend fixing these broken elements — a process that many times means switching to a platform that isn’t reliant on plugins.

Your business is ready to grow.

Pittsburgh Web Design Companies Support Your Business’s Next Step

Even if your website feels ‘good enough’ for its purposes, Pittsburgh web design companies know how to optimize your online presence. Your website is a major portal for online growth when used properly — you just have to start by getting a website that works as hard as you do.

Think it may be time for a website redesign? Get in touch with the leader in Pittsburgh web design at Responsival today to get started.