Is it time to redesign your website?

If you’re like most other businesses and nonprofits that aren’t brand new, you probably already have a website. We’ve been helping clients with websites since 2003, and it’s fairly rare now to see an established organization that doesn’t have a website.

However, it is pretty common to see organizations with old websites. I don’t know that we’ve seen any that were a full twenty years old, but we’ve definitely seen some that looked that old.

You may be asking yourself, “Self, how old is my website? Is it time to get a new, redesigned website?”

Great question! Here are a few signs it might be time to get a new website, plus a few signs that it may not be time.

My website is over five years old

Technologies change over time. Chances are pretty good that if your website was created more than five years ago, there are some things behind the scenes that could be improved. Those improvements could make the site easier for you to update, make it easier for others to use, and increase the effectiveness of your website.

My site doesn’t look good on mobile devices

If people still have to pinch and zoom on a phone or tablet to see everything on your website, it’s definitely time for an overhaul.

Other people have told me it looks old

If you’ve heard from more than one person that your site looks old, there’s a decent chance it’s time for a redesign. After all, if those people are telling you, consider all the people that are thinking it but aren’t saying anything.

I’d like to update it myself but can’t

Want to update your website yourself from time to time? If your website wasn’t built on a system where you can update it yourself—also known as a Content Management System or CMS—then it’s time for a website overhaul. The most popular CMS currently is WordPress, but there are plenty of other options as well.

The person that made my website has disappeared or is not responding

We all need help. Whether you don’t have the time or desire to mess with your website at all or you just occasionally want expert assistance, having access to whoever built your website is important. If you can’t get in touch with them or they’ve moved on and no longer work on websites, it’s time to get a new site from a different company.

Now, here are a few signs that could make you think it’s time for a website redesign but may not actually mean that.

I’m tired of how it looks

Many people look at their own website far more often than anyone else does. If you’re tired of how it looks but nobody else has said anything, redesigning it might not be the best investment of time and money.

My organization has changed a lot

Businesses and nonprofits change over time. I know at T&S we offer a lot of services we didn’t offer just five years ago. You may need to look at the pages and content on your website and plan for a major overhaul there, but the site itself doesn’t necessarily need to be redesigned to make that happen.

My site doesn’t look trendy

Visual trends come and go and that cycle is pretty quick online. If you’re worried that your site doesn’t look trendy, but it is still accomplishing your goals, think carefully about whether you really need to redesign it or not.

Of course, any marketing or design agency that really cares about your needs will be willing to tell you if you don’t actually need a redesign. So if you need some guidance, reach out to someone you trust and schedule a phone call or meeting to see if you need a website redesign.