5 Signs You Need a New Website in 2023
New year, new areas for growth (yay!).
But hey, don’t forget your website, too.
Your website an extension of your business.
That means if it isn’t pulling its load and bringing in inquiries, it’s probably deadweight to your business.
Here are five signs you need a new website in 2023!
1. You’re embarrassed to share your website with people.
“I’m embarrassed to share my social media.”
A friend of mine started getting inquiries about her baking business from people outside her circle.
She received an inquiry for a large order (yay!).
At the time, she only had an Instagram account for her business.
If you have a website, ask yourself the question: if a prospective client asked for my website, would I hesitate to send the link to my site?
Would I be embarrassed if they shared my website at a stakeholder meeting where they would explore the possibility of working with me?
If your answer to both questions wasn’t a resounding “no”, a new website might be something to consider.
2. People don’t know where to find information on your website.
My fiance and I started planning our wedding and by the start of this year and we’ve collected quotes from close to 20 vendors.
I messaged a vendor inquiring about their pricing and they said something along the lines of “it’s on the website”.
I couldn’t remember where it was on the website.
And then it hit—I was on mobile and the page where the pricing was didn’t fit onto my screen.
Mobile responsiveness (or the lack thereof) is standard for websites, ESPECIALLY in 2023.
If part of your website is cut off on phones or tablets, that might be a sign that your site is due for an update.
3. There’s little to no whitespace on your website because they’re filled with text.
I had a past client who was incredible at telling stories. He commanded crowds as big as thousands and as little as four.
But his 10-year-old website failed to portray that.
Instead, it flowed like a CV or online resume…like what my old science profs used to have.
If you’ve never seen a CV before, it’s a document with rows of text, detailing what you did in a position.
Very much like a resume.
And the thing about resumes?
People don’t fully read ‘em. Even hiring managers skim through resumes!
You definitely don’t want to do this to your own website.
First, cut down on the text. Show, don’t tell.
If possible, have photos or videos of you or what you do in action.
And if you do end up writing?
Make sure they’re not boring.
As a rule of thumb, writing for the web is better when you use shorter sentences.
That doesn’t mean you can’t write a long blog post!
It means make every word/sentence count.
If it doesn’t help lead your reader to what you intend them to feel/think/do, cut it out.
4. Your website doesn’t reflect what you currently offer.
Ever have someone inquire about an offering that you stopped providing, like, years ago?
Sure, if you have one service/product that’s out of commission, take it off. (And if you can’t remove it yourself, read the next sign.)
But if it’s more than half?
That’s probably a sign your website is a tad outdated.
At this point, it’s not only a matter of deleting some text—the messaging on your website will also need to reflect this change in direction.
You’ll need to reflect, as a business owner, why this change in course—are you catering to a different niche? Are you choosing to provide solutions for a specific problem for the same audience?
Tl;dr: your website needs to be crystal-clear on your offerings and why you offer them.
5. You can’t make edits to your own website.
“The company closed [before the website was finished] and now I’m unable to make changes.”
I’m a big believer that you should be able to change photos or add/remove text.
You shouldn’t have to hire a web designer to do that.
Why?
Because if you’re able to use word processors or upload images on Facebook, you should definitely be able to do this for your own website.
That’s why I continue to use Showit, even though I could code websites if I so choose.
I’ve seen how friendly they are for my clients to use and update.
Here’s an Instagram post of my past client, Sam, updating her Showit website!
A new year is a good time to revisit tools and channels.
Go ahead and revisit your website with these questions!
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