As your business grows and changes over time, your website must change with it. Whether you do most of your business online, or you have a brick and mortar location, you can no longer afford to ignore how you appear to your customers online as we move into 2016. If your website still reads like a business card from the 1990’s then it is definitely time for an upgrade. Here are a few questions that will help you determine if it is time to give your web design for your Raleigh business a fresh look.
#1 Is your website mobile ready?
One of the biggest elements to affect website design for Raleigh businesses is the increased use of mobile technology in making decisions about purchases. More than 64% of Americans own a smartphone and more than 42% own a tablet computer (Pew Research Center, 2014). Your customers don’t want to wait until they get home to their laptop or desktop to research your product or service. They’re doing internet research while online at the grocery store, during their child’s soccer practice, or even during their long commute to and from work. Newer technologies like the Apple Watch and other wearable technology are becoming a bigger player. The market requires that your website be ready to navigate at any time on any device. Is your site mobile ready? Go ahead and check out what your site looks like on various devices. You can also check out Google’s Developers Tool to determine if your site is mobile friendly.
#2 How are your customers using your website?
While it may feel like mobile technology is yet another thing to be worried about when it comes to the use of your website, there are still some basic elements that never change in web design. Raleigh customers want a site that is easily navigable and answers the most basic questions about who you are and what you do. After all, a mobile responsive site means nothing if your customers can’t figure out how to contact you. That’s why the 5 basic web pages are still important to creating a user friendly website:
- Home
- About
- Services
- Contact
- Blog
While this list may differ slightly for some businesses, most businesses will find that this will support their needs.
#3 What is your call to action?
Your website should never be used as just an extension of your business card. Your website should be an active space on the internet where you are inviting current and potential customers to further engage with you, your products, and services. Think about how you want to further develop that relationship. Are you inviting visitors to join your email list? Do you want them to make a purchase? Are you promoting your latest sale? These are the kinds of decisions a great web designer will help you incorporate into a modern website.
So how would you rate your current web design? Raleigh businesses are choosing to update their sites everyday because they don’t want to fall behind the competition. If you are ready to take the plunge, give us a call so we can start talking about how your new site can support your business goals.
