6 signs it's time for a new website pinterest pin

It’s a love hate relationship. You were so proud of your site when it launched, but now… you’re out of the honeymoon period, you’ve grown, and you’re just not sure if your site has grown with you.

But should you try again?

Or is it time for a new website?

Here are some of the telltale signs to look out for.

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1. You’ve significantly changed your service or product

It happens quite commonly that during the start up and maturation phase of business, that things naturally evolve & change, and it’s a normal & positive part of business. However it can mean that the site you started out with is out of date.

Now does this mean you need a new site?

Not necessarily - if you’ve got an easy to use platform like Squarespace, changing up your services pages could be done quite simply (for example using a VIP support day or even DIYing it), but if your platform is more difficult to manage, or you have a huge change in service offering, it might be just as easy to start again with a fresh new website.

2. Your audience has changed

Another thing that can happen early on in business is that your audience changes. Perhaps the ideal client you started out with, wasn’t so ideal after all, or you made a pivot after learning more about your people. This could be a sign that a new website is in order, as one of the most critical roles of a site is to appeal to and connect with your audience, your ideal clients.

Having said that, similarly to point 1, you may be able to update brand & messaging with the help of a designer, or indeed yourself, but you will need a new look & feel to your website if your audience has changed.

Top tip: Make sure you’re really clear on your ideal client before you begin any brand or webdesign process.

3. You want your audience to change

You want your audience to change! This is a little different to number 2, because if you’re wanting to effect a change in audience - maybe clients with bigger budgets, or in a specific niche, but so far you’re not attracting them, a new website is a great tool to do so!

Having a clean, elevated, slick & professional online presence is one of the keys to showing your potential clients that that’s what you’re all about & a new website, built by an experienced & high quality designer is a great way to do it!

4. Your site can no longer do what you need it to

This is a red flag that it’s time for a new website. Your website is like an employee - and needs to have the skills for the job. There is a certain amount of work-around-ing possible (looking at plugin options etc, but at a certain point, if your site can’t fulfill its job description it’s time for a new one. It’s amazing how often it happens that I do a website rebuild, and the client is just astounded by how much easier their life is now their site can actually do what they need from it!

To help you future proof your next website, consider a list of functionality that you need now, and are likely to need in the future so you chat it through with a webdesigner to get their take and clarity on the options.

5. You can’t make website edits & updates yourself

This for me is always a red flag - worse than no website at all, is an out of date or incorrect site, and yet there are so many of them! But not because their owners are lazy, or don’t care… far from it! It’s usually because they don’t know how to make edits & updates themselves, or are scared to.

If this is you, it’s really worth considering a new website on a platform that makes making ongoing changes easy for you (I highly recommend Squarespace).

6. You have the time & budget to dedicate to getting your website right

At the very beginning of a new business it’s often the case that we just need something, anything up & fast. But as things evolve we need & expect more from our sites, but just as importantly we have more - time and more money to invest in them.

Having the time and budget isn't reason in & of itself to have a new website (if you have a perfectly good one don’t just change it because you can!) but I would say it is a prerequisite to making sure your website redesign is successful.

So there you have it, some telltale signs that it’s time for a new website, and a few that might tell you not yet!