Redesigning a website is an essential process, as technology constantly evolves and new data and tools emerge. Knowing exactly when to redesign your website to ensure the smooth operation of your digital business is a crucial issue that concerns almost every business owner.
The typical timeframe for when your website may need a redesign is around every 3–4 years, since that’s about how long it takes for new technologies and digital tools to appear.
1. Navigation on your website is particularly difficult
When a potential customer visits your website, you need to be absolutely sure that navigation is easy, simple, and quick, allowing them to find the information they’re looking for in just a few seconds.
Keep in mind that if visitors don’t find what they need within a few seconds, they will most likely leave your site and go to a competitor’s.
What does this mean?
A significant loss of visitors and sales for your business!
What to do:
To avoid this unpleasant situation, test your website to see how easy it is for someone to find a product category, your contact information, etc.
If visitors struggle to find what they’re looking for, it’s time for a complete website or e-shop redesign.
Beyond basic categories such as “Contact” and “Products,” your website should make it easy for users to find exactly what they’re looking for — the specific piece of information they need.
For example:
If you own a clothing store, your website shouldn’t just include a general “Clothing” category. It should also have subcategories such as Women’s Clothing, Men’s Denim Jackets, Children’s Tracksuits, etc., so visitors can quickly find what truly interests them — ultimately increasing your sales.
2. It’s time to upgrade your company’s image
Think about this: imagine you’re a customer looking to buy a product. Would you choose a business whose storefront, products, and catalogs look like they’re from the 1970s? Probably not.
Your company’s website is exactly that — your digital storefront. It should feature a modern design, a dynamic presentation of your company and products, and a stylish, functional layout.
Why? Because a modern website shows visitors that your business is up-to-date, trustworthy, and professional — qualities that make them more likely to choose you over competitors.
Therefore, a modern and functional website redesign translates to increased traffic and higher sales for your business.
3. Your traffic and sales have decreased
A very important reason to consider an immediate redesign of your website is when you notice a sharp decline in traffic, visitor engagement time, or sales.
If visitors spend only a few seconds on your site, it means something is turning them away — perhaps the design, the layout, or the overall presentation.
If your bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave quickly) is high, then it’s time to redesign your business website right away — to recapture your audience and boost your sales once again.
4. Your website is slow
When it comes to websites, one thing is absolutely certain: no visitor has the patience to stay on a slow site.
A slow website means loss of visitors, sales, and a significant drop in profits for your business.
But a slow site has another major drawback:
According to Google’s algorithm, page loading time is one of the most critical factors that affect your site’s final ranking in Google search results.
So a slow website means low ranking in Google, which leads to reduced visibility for your business and a large loss of customers and profitability.
5. Your website is not mobile-friendly (responsive design)
Most online searches are performed from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
What does this mean in practice?
It means that a potential customer should be able to visit your corporate website from their phone—even while having a coffee—and have the same quality of navigation as on a desktop.
That is: your site should load in a proper time, your images should display at the correct size, and many other elements must be optimized to determine whether your site is truly mobile-friendly.
6. Are you ranking high in search engines so people can find you easily? (SEO)
Have you wondered where you would be today if nobody knew your company, your products, or your name—because other companies appear in Google’s top ten instead of you? Most likely you’d be off the market and spending more money trying to “advertise” your company, right?
If you don’t optimize your website, your target audience cannot find you. This costs your company money every day because potential visits from interested users decrease, causing lost sales and profits. It may sound harsh, but that’s the reality.