Is your website in need of a renovation?

Lately, my husband & I have been watching a lot of home improvement shows on HGTV and DIY Network, such as Kitchen Crashers and I Hate my Bath. We recently spent a four-day weekend updating our Brownsburg home with new interior and exterior lighting, doorknobs, fixtures, tile backsplashes and more. After the process was complete, we couldn’t help but marvel in all of our new updates. With just a few changes, and removing the old, outdated things, it looked and felt like we had a new house.

This reminded me of how it is with many company websites. When you visit your own website (if you have one), perhaps you have thought some of the following things:

• Wow, this website design really looks nice.
• My website looks like it’s been updated recently.
• I’d be proud for someone to take a tour of my website.
• This website really reflects my company’s personality.
• My website is clean and uncluttered.
• If someone visited my website, they could easily find what they were seeking.
• Based on this website, I think someone would want to buy my product or service.

Were you thinking many of these statements about your own website? If not, it may be time for a website revision.

Sometimes even a small change to a website can make a big difference and impact on your visitor’s experience. For example:

• Web Design: If your design doesn’t reflect your new logo/brand or simply hasn’t been changed in a while, it may be time to change out your design template. The good news is that many websites today actually cost less than they did five or 10 years ago.
• Website Functionality: If your website was built using an outdated platform, and you’re not able to make many changes to your site without involving an expensive developer’s time, it’s worth your while to switch to a more user-friendly platform such as WordPress. Sites built using WordPress or another similar CMS (content management system) make updating content much easier, so you’ll spend less on updates over time.
• Web Content: Adding a blog feature to your existing website allows you to update your site with fresh content, making your website more informative and search-engine friendly, meaning your web visitors will be more likely to find you, stay longer on your site, and become customers.
• Social Media: It’s easier than ever to add social media share buttons throughout your site, as well as links to your corporate social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, YouTube and more. Why not engage your web visitors in more than one place on the Web? You can also encourage them to share your content and comment on your site’s blog posts too.

Perhaps your website is in need of a major tear out and re-haul, but you are afraid to take the leap and make a change. The process might be easier than you think. Although it probably won’t take a long weekend (most of my clients’ website projects are completed within six to eight weeks), I promise you that the results will be worthwhile. Then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy looking at your newly renovated website.