Having a beautiful and functional website is an absolute necessity in the digital age. After all, we conduct 12 billion web searches every month in the U.S. alone — so having a stellar website is crucial. But when it comes to technology, nothing lasts forever. A website that once served your business well and impressed visitors with every click won’t stay that way for the next decade. If you expect to compete, you need to ensure your website is truly up-to-date.
But of course, redesigning a website is no small feat. Not only will you need to hire professional web designers each time you perform a major overhaul, but you’ll also need to think about the costs of website maintenance services Raleigh businesses rely on. The perceived expense and frustration associated with website redesign is what keeps many business owners from updating frequently enough. And unfortunately, failing to have your site revamped can cause issues with user experience and even brand perception.
To make sure customers can easily access and interact with your site — and that you do everything you can to boost your brand, rather than detract from it — you’ll want to have it redesigned on a fairly regular basis. But what exactly does that mean? And how can you determine whether it’s time to call a resource for website maintenance services Raleigh business owners trust? We’ll answer those questions below.
How Often Should You Redesign a Website?
There isn’t necessarily an exact expiration date on a given website’s design. However, most experts estimate that the lifespan of a website is anywhere from 1.5 to three years. That doesn’t mean you need to panic when your site passes the two-year mark, but it does mean you should start thinking ahead for a potential redesign. In some cases, the bulk of your site might still be considered up-to-date after that point; you might simply benefit from a refresh that the best website maintenance services Raleigh can offer. It’s a good idea to talk to a web design professional (or even solicit feedback from customers) to ascertain whether it’s time for an update.
How To Tell If You Need to Redesign Your Site
Aside from professional recommendations and customer feedback, there are a few different ways to determine whether a redesign is necessary. If your branding has changed since your site was first designed, you should pursue a redesign to ensure everything is consistent across the board. A website with outdated features, slow loading speeds, navigation issues, or other errors should also be addressed with a redesign. That’s also true of a website that hasn’t been designed with SEO or mobile responsiveness in mind.
This isn’t to say you should have a redesign done just for the sake of it. If you designed your site only a year ago and are seeing great results, there’s no reason to do a complete overhaul. That said, you might want to invest in the website maintenance services Raleigh businesses count on to ensure your current design continues to serve your organization as it should. If you aren’t able to (or don’t want to) update the site yourself with small changes, this can be a good way to ensure your site remains as functional as possible until a redesign is warranted.
Although there’s no strict time limit for website design, you’ll want to evaluate your need for an upgrade based on that one-to-three-year range and how well your website addresses the needs of your business. For more information on redesigning your site to reach that next level, get in touch with MRN Web Designs today.
