Your WordPress website looked great when it first went online, but how long ago was that?
Websites have to be refreshed often to look current, otherwise, they start to look more like an antique. For instance, at one point, the computer above was cutting edge, but would you use it today?
If you’re not sure if your WordPress website is old, see how your site compares with these signs. Even just a few small upgrades could make a major difference in how visitors perceive your site.
1. Takes Too Long To Load
Sadly, even some brand new sites take too long to load, but old websites often load even slower. According to one study, between 1999 to 2010, visitors’ patience decreased from 8 seconds to just 3 seconds. Today’s visitors are even less patient.
If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, you could be losing visitors. Try loading your website on different browsers to see how it performs. You can also use Pingdom to test loading times. If you have time to grab a cup of coffee, your WordPress website is old and needs a major refresh.
2. Poor Quality Or Too Few Images
No one likes to see graphics that are blurry, pixelated, or too small to even see clearly. Your visitors are visual creatures. When images are low quality or there are too few images, visitors get distracted and move on.
Improving your images and adding in more images holds attention, helps your site load faster (since quality images compressed for web pages are smaller in size) and boosts conversions.
3. It Only Fits Certain Screens
Does your site fit on all screens or just desktops? A sure sign your WordPress website is old is whether it’s mobile friendly or not. I’ve talked about why a mobile friendly or responsive design is vital to boosting your page rank and increasing visitors. This isn’t a passing trend. Google and your mobile visitors take responsive design seriously. Give your site an upgrade and appeal to your mobile audience too.
4. No Way To Contact You
Does your website only have an email address and/or phone number? That worked well in the late 90s and early 2000s, but times have changed. Visitors want an even easier way to contact you. Your WordPress website needs an easy to use contact form that sends messages directly to your email address. It’s easier for users and ensures no one sends messages to the wrong email address.
5. It’s Hard For Customers To Order
If you have an ecommerce site, it has to be easy for customers to order. Take a look at your checkout process. Is it secure and using an SSL certificate? How many steps are involved? Customers expect a secure checkout and if they don’t feel safe, they’ll move to the competition. If you make customers go through 10 screens to place an order, they’ll get frustrated and move on as well.
6. Bounce Rate Is Too High
If you use analytic software, which every website should, check your bounce rate. A high bounce rate is a sign your WordPress website is old and may have broken links, outdated content and pages that are difficult to interact with. While a high bounce rate could just indicate you need to change your content strategy, you should take a high bounce rate seriously.
Bonus: It’s Rarely Updated, if Ever
Think back to the last time your WordPress website was updated. If it’s been over a year, a refresh is needed. Simple changes to the design, optimising pages and adding in more user friendly features helps improve the user experience. If you want to stay competitive, regular updates are a necessity.
Keep Your WordPress Site Fresh
Besides updating your WordPress software, themes and plugins, updating the website itself is a crucial part of WordPress maintenance. Keep your WordPress website fresh and you’ll continue to keep your visitors happy and coming back for more.
Does your WordPress website need a makeover to make it look shiny and new? Contact Darren today to learn how to get started.
Image: Arkadiusz Sikorski
