Fifteen or even ten years ago, maintaining a professional web presence was expensive, time-consuming, and complicated. These days, things could not be more different. Thanks to content management systems (CMSs) such as WordPress, Drupal, and others, it’s never been easier and more affordable to project a sharp images to potential customers, partners, and employees.
Still, what worked six or seven years ago may not work today. The web-design landscape is a dynamic one, and it’s best to stay on top of current trends. Put differently, here are some signs that your website needs a tune-up.
It’s slow.
More than ever, speed kills. Still, how do you minimize those page-loading milliseconds?
Make no mistake: hosting matters. As a general rule, you get what you pay for. Low-cost hosting companies such as GoDaddy may get the job done with basic hosting, but don’t be surprised if your speed suffers.
Note, though, that a poorly designed website rife with large images, video, and audio files isn’t like to load fast regardless of the hosting company. To test the speed of your current site, check out this über-useful Google tool.
It’s not responsive.
Responsive web design is a big deal, but don’t make word for it. A little company called Alphabet—parent company of Google—thinks so too. Not too long ago, the world’s biggest search engine revised its algorithm to reward websites that look good on mobile devices and penalized those that don’t.
Not sure if your site looks good on iPads, Droids, and their ilk? No worries. Responsinator is just the ticket. It’s also wise to build your site with a mobile-friendly theme such as Divi.
It’s dated and/or downright ugly.
Less is often more. Think Medium.
Admittedly, this attribute is a bit more subjective. Ugly websites such as these aren’t just fodder for public ridicule; they often result in lost sales.
I could rant about pet peeves such as dual sidebars, horrible fonts, and confusing navigation all day long. Suffice it to say that websites these days should err on the side of simplicity. Less is often more. Think Medium. (For a great book on website design, check out Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.)
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Phil Simon is a frequent keynote speaker and recognized technology authority. He is the award-winning author of seven management books, most recently Message Not Received. He consults organizations on matters related to communications, strategy, data, and technology. His contributions have been featured on The Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fox News, and many other sites. In the fall of 2016, he will be joining the faculty at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business.
