Every once in a while, it’s good to have a website makeover and throw out the old stuff that’s not working while refreshing your site to give it a bit of a boost. You should be doing ongoing management and tweaking things, to keep your website fresh and up to date, however you may find that sometimes you just need a good overhaul on the whole site.

A website makeover does not have to be a scary or overwhelming thing. If it is, then maybe you need to step back, take a few deep breaths, and then decide if you really need to tackle it right now, after all. You may be better off to wait until you have a little less on your plate, or have someone you can hand the project over to, so you don’t have to stress over it.

That being said, if you aren’t really sure if you need a website makeover or not, here are 5 signs that may mean you need a good overhaul of your website.

1. Your website does not reflect your Company brand

Your brand is the image you project to potential customers, partners and anyone else who comes in contact with you and your company. You should be using your consistent branding on all of your marketing materials, including your website.

Does your website match your company branding?

If not, then you definitely need a website makeover to get it up to speed!

2. Your website does not have the Functionality you need

You really want to have a blog on your website and to start conversations with your visitors. Or you want to build your mailing list and offer free reports or ebooks. Or any other number of important things that you want to do with your website to attract and connect with potential customers. But your website just isn’t built with those features, and you don’t know how to add them.

If this sounds like your situation, then you definitely need a website makeover! And you need to make sure it gets re-done right, and on the right platform to support whatever functionality you need.

3. Your Competition looks better than you

If your competition’s website looks better than yours, then chances are you need a website makeover – and you need it NOW!

Your website is the first impression that many people will have of you and your company. And if your competition’s website sets a better first impression, guess who your potential customers are going to go to?

4. Your copy is out of date

Has your company gone in a new direction, or changed focus? Are you offering some new products and services that aren’t on the website? There are any number of things that can change over the course of weeks and months that can change the focus of your business, what you offer, or other important factors.

Make sure these changes have been reflected on your website! If your website copy is out of date, then you need to get it up to speed right away.

5. Your website isn’t making any Sales or Leads

If your website isn’t working for you and bringing in leads and sales, then you definitely need a website makeover.

Your website’s job is to attract potential customers to you, to help you make sales and build your business. A website makeover can help you get your website on track to do just that!

Spend some time figuring out just what you need your website to do for you, what kind of people you want to attract and what you have to offer them. Get a clear picture of how your website can do this before going through your makeover, to make sure it gets built right.

If you find after reading this list that you do need a website makeover, then start looking at your options for getting it done. Don’t put it off and think that it’s not important and can wait for another day. That will just cause you to lose potential clients – and lose sales and money!

Above all, remember that your website is an important piece of your marketing strategy and treat it as such! Give it the attention it needs to be a good lead and sales tool for you, and it will work for you to grow your business.

If you are not quite sure what you should be doing to improve your website and would like some tips for doing your website makeover, why not submit your site for our monthly Jessilicious Website Makeovers to get some customized tips for your site?

Every business should have a website these days, but a good number of those floating around out there just might be defeating the purpose. Your business website should be a business card, brochure, and your key marketing piece all in one. It should not only inform your target market of what you do and how you do it, but it should convince them that your business is the best choice for them. The benefits of your products and services should be clearly apparent, and there should be no question about what the next step should be.

Here is a checklist to use to ensure you have all your bases covered in developing the best website for your business.

Information easy to find and appropriate?

Be sure that the information provided on your website is appropriate for the typical knowledge level of your target market. Not sure? Talk to people who are within your target market about what they know and what they want to know about what you do. We are living in the information age, and customers expect to learn something new from the businesses they spend money on. Be sure all of your customers’ common questions are answered and those answers are easy to find.

Writing style conversational and clear?

Write in second-person (using you) so that you are talking directly to your target customers. Be sure your grammar and spelling are correct — have several people proofread the copy before it is posted. Avoid uncommon jargon or technical speak (unless your target market is comfortable with it), but use plain language to explain why they should buy your product and how it will make their lives better.

Sales message clear?

Your sales messages should be consistent across your website and among all other marketing endeavors. Select the primary reason your target market will buy your product and drive that message home as clearly, as convincingly, and as often as possible. Use section headings to draw attention to specific benefits of your product.

Easy to navigate?

Surf around the internet and check out the different types of navigation tools out there. Some sites are very easy to surf, others are nearly impossible to find whatever you are looking for. Be sure yours makes it easy for your customers to navigate, and that it is obvious how your website is organized. Every page should include a call to action (sign up for the mailing list, buy now, call now…whatever you want them to do), and have a way for your customers to follow through immediately.

SEO?

Even the best website is only effective if people can find it, so be sure you have incorporated SEO (search engine optimization) tools into the site itself. Using the right key words (the words people will use to find your business) in the right places, including metatags for the pages and labels on the images, and signing up for the best internet directories provide a good start to getting your site found by the major search engines.

While these five factors are certainly not comprehensive requirements for a good website, they are very common errors that occur with small business websites that keep the site from being effective.