Technological advancements are taking place at a very fast pace. Everyday, new technologies are coming up in an effort to simplify our lives. Today, there are millions of apps which can assist you to do just about anything from tracking your weight and diet to monitoring the weather and identifying songs for you. Gadgets haven’t been left behind. There are very many mobile devices i.e. Smartphones and tablets which are taking computing to the next level regardless of factors like location. There are however problems that are hindering many people from utilizing new technologies to the fullest.
One problem revolves around outdated websites. It is important to note that websites are the gateway to the internet and outdated sites can’t be accessed properly by new mobile devices coming up simply because they are not responsive. This leads us to a very important question; how do you know if your website is outdated? Most website owners today are having a hard time adapting to new tech trends that affect the usability of their sites. If you are faced by this problem, look no further. Below are 10 signs to consider when you want to know if your website is outdated.
1. Your website isn’t responsive
This is by far one of the most obvious sign that your website is outdated. Let’s face it, when was the last time you went somewhere and not see someone on their cell phone? This simply means that most people visiting your website could be using mobile devices i.e. smartphones and tablets. Responsive websites are simply sites which can be accessed in totality using any kind of device capable of accessing the internet. Unresponsive websites are only compatible to desktop computers and laptops. They also don’t offer ultimate user experience. When you access them using mobile devices, you get screen resolution problems, display problems etc. In short, the websites aren’t usable and appealing when accessed via the latest mobile devices. If your site has such problems, it’s time for an update.
2. You call your developer too often
Calling your developer often is also a clear sign of an outdated website. After having your website up and running for a few years, it shouldn’t be hard to debug common website problems. You may however find yourself being forced to call your developer more often for unusual problems on flexibility and usability being raised by your users in the recent past. This is a clear sign that you should update your website.
3. Your website’s page load times have become slow
If your website used to load fast in the past and no longer does now, this is a clear sign that you should update your website. The advancement in technology coming up today is demanding faster speeds. If you site takes longer than a few seconds to load, it’s no longer up-to-date with the latest gadgets and online technologies. It’s important to note that poor website development is to blame for most slow sites today.
4. Your website lacks new content
This one of the most obvious signs that your website is outdated. If you haven’t added any fresh new content in a while, you must do something about it now. Although content on homepages rarely need updating, you should get creative with fresh content at least once a month. You should constantly update your website with fresh content featuring the latest keywords, images, and news to keep things interesting.
5. It’s hard to navigate your website
Having a responsive website doesn’t necessarily mean that your website is easy to navigate. There are many responsive websites with poor navigation menus. If your website is hard to navigate, it’s time to do something. Go the extra mile and eliminate any confusion by adding search tools and improving the visibility of main menus.
6. Your website has poor page ranking
Page ranking is an indication of how popular your website is. If your competitors have better search engine ranking than you and you feel you have done everything possible to improve your website, your site may be outdated. If your website visitors seem to have disappeared, there is something obviously wrong. You should start by looking at your competitors’ websites before you start updating your website.
7. Your website has a poor performance rate
This is another obvious sign of an outdated website. It’s important to use webmaster tools such as Google Webmaster Tools to get important insights about your website’s overall health. Also consider using Google Analytics for even deeper insights. For example, you can find out which keywords people are using to find your website on search engines, the most popular pages in your site, the amount of time spent on each page, how often your site appears on search engine results, and much more! This data is important for identifying your website’s performance and web presence. If your website has a poor performance, it’s time for an update.
8. You don’t like to share your URL with anyone anymore
Sometimes it’s all about being honest with yourself. If your feel your website is outdated, well, the fact of the matter is that you’re probably right. If the days of sharing your website’s URL to everyone you meet are over, you’re probably unhappy with your website because you know you can do better. Do something about it instead of accepting your predicament.
9. You website has very little or no social media activity
The power of social media websites can’t be overlooked today by any serious webmaster. Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn have over a billion daily active users. Many serious webmasters are capitalizing on social media traffic by directing it to their sites by creating business profiles on social media sites, ads, videos, articles etc. If your website doesn’t receive any sizable traffic from top social media sites, you website is most likely outdated. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new website, you need to consider making your website as social media friendly as possible.
10. You haven’t visited your website for a while
The mere fact that you haven’t visited your website for a while is enough to warrant a revamp. Since technological advancements are taking place at a very fast pace, webmasters must work on their websites constantly to ensure they are responsive at all times. An up-to-date website should keep you engaged on a daily basis. If that’s not the case with your site, it’s time to do something.
Conclusion
In summary, these summarize the most obvious signs of an outdated website. Although there may be other useful signs to consider, the above signs are adequate enough to guide you on the right direction. It is however advisable to use this article as a basis for further research. Contact us if you need any help!
