Many of the business owners we meet with are hesitant to admit (either to us or themselves) that they need to upgrade their websites. Often, they have spent quite a bit of money to get what they currently have, even if it was several years in the past. Many times they are skeptical about investing in a new one.
For that reason, they sometimes look in the wrong direction when it becomes obvious changes are needed. To help you avoid the all-too-common mistakes they make, let’s look at three ways to “upgrade” your business website that you should definitely avoid…
#1 Add a Bunch of New Apps or Plug-ins
This is particularly popular with the owners of WordPress websites. They figure things aren’t going as well as they could be so the answer must be to add a bunch of new apps and plug-ins that will introduce new marketing features.
Naturally, there is a place for reviewing apps and plug-ins when upgrading a business website, but there is hardly ever a silver bullet to be found in a new piece of software. Conversely, adding a number of different features all at the same time can slow down your web pages, cause conflicts between the new programs, and even lead to online security concerns. This just isn’t a good way to find the answers you need.
#2 Touch Up the Images and Aesthetics
If you’ve ever looked at buying a house or used car, you’ve undoubtedly come across something that was freshly painted and priced well above its true value. In other words, you’ve seen something the owner tried to “put some lipstick on” and sell to an unsuspecting buyer.
These kinds of efforts are usually transparent, and so is the attempt to revitalize a website by changing a few photos or layouts. If buyers aren’t finding you on Google, ignore your online ads, and don’t find your content engaging, then changing just the look of your pages won’t be enough to get new results.
#3 Move Everything to a DIY Website Template
DIY website templates seem like an easy and inexpensive option for establishing a fresh web presence. In reality, though, they give you the bare minimum in terms of aesthetics while loading you down with lots of unnecessary coding. To put it another way, they combine the worst of the first two bad answers we’ve already covered.
When you move your content to a fresh DIY website template you will get a new website. What you won’t get, though, is better performance, search visibility, or marketing results. And, you’re likely to lose a lot of the features (and visits) you were enjoying from your older business website. That’s hardly an upgrade.
Looking for Web Design That Makes a Difference?
Looking for web design and online marketing services that go beyond gimmicks and quick fixes? If so, we might be the creative team you been looking for. Our track record speaks for itself, and we’ve got the portfolio to back it up.
Contact us today at 630-551-0334 x1 so we can schedule a free consultation and talk about what it will take to get your marketing plan back on the right track!