When we’re not building web applications and WordPress websites, my team and I are regular consumers just like everyone else. Whether we’re looking for client prospects, or the best tacos in Texas, we find old websites that could use a rebuild.
Sometimes the business owner doesn’t understand the implications of what prospective customers think when visiting a site that is outdated, buggy, or outright unimpressive.
If that’s you, i.e. you think riding out an old website is “no big deal” we just want to share what visitors often think…
1. Are you still in business?
I experience this one a lot. When a site looks outdated, has an old copyright in the footer and especially when it’s hard to find when Googling – I’m wondering if your business is dead in the water.
Great businesses are made by constant effort and improvement, and if all signs are pointing to you not being up to much, then we’re willing to bet there’s a competitor out there who’s already beating you online.
Is this how you greet people online?
2. Are you tone-deaf to where technology is headed?
Flash based websites (looking at you, restaurants), no mobile compatibility and unresponsive layouts are all indicators that you’re not keeping up with the times.
Increasingly, we’re working with clients who are finding that in some cases 80%+ of their traffic is coming from mobile devices. Put that in brick & mortar terms, that’s like blocking off your doors and wondering why the cash dried up.
You need to know where the traffic is coming from – and be ready for it!
It works just like the new ones.
3. Is business doing poorly, so you’re not investing in improvements?
Have you ever gone into a restaurant or store that just felt like it was cutting corners to save money?
The decor is dingy and sterile, or maybe you’re looking for sales help and no one is available – these are the death rattles for any business.
To see this in person – have a stroll through most major retailers in America right now. Then go to Amazon.com and see if you think their site is in any way NOT firing on all cylinders.
Especially, if you’re a company that “should have money” and you’re making ZERO effort to improve your customer’s experience online, then that stirs the rumors that maybe business is bad – and no one wants to work with a business that’s failing.
4. Does this reflect the quality of your products or service?
We try to leave branding to the pros, but I’ve been through enough rodeos to tell you that consistency of experience is PARAMOUNT for establishing the quality of your brand.
If the first thing I customer sees from your company is not high quality – then why would they think that the product or service is going to be any better?
There are exceptions to this of course; if they’ve been recommended your business or are cross-referencing with Google reviews or Yelp or some other means of social credibility, but otherwise if someone is shopping around and finds a bad site vs. a good (or even “better”) one – who do you think they’re going to go with?
I’m sure once they get to know me – they won’t care about the website.
5. Do you really just not care what users experience?
Perhaps the most unfortunate of the questions is making customers feel like you just don’t care.
If you’re not in-business to serve customers and clients as best as you can, then why be in business?
Sometimes the “not caring” phenomenon is based on past-bitterness about a bad experience building a previous website. Maybe it cost more than it was supposed to, you got ripped off, or launched late.
We can understand that being a source of stress, but it shouldn’t affect your ability to serve current and future customers.
6. Do you not know how to make it better?
This is a question heading in the right direction.
Step 1, is that you have to admit that there’s a problem.
You know you need a better website, but you don’t know how much it will cost and you don’t know anyone that you can trust to do it. You’ve heard about “build your own” websites, but don’t think you’ve got the time or tech savvy to make it happen.
Here’s where we come in.
We build WordPress websites using a field-tested blueprint.
Let’s get you up and running with a reasonable investment, on-time.
Customers aren’t going to tell you that your old website is why they didn’t decide to go with you. But after reading this – let’s assume that it’s not helping you, eh?
