If you ask the Internet how often you should fully refresh your website, you’ll get a lot of opinions. But unfortunately, you won’t get a definitive answer. In lieu of that, there are certain indicators that it’s time to update your site.
What’s a website refresh?
First, let’s define what we mean when we say “website refresh.” This often means a complete site overhaul in terms of content, design, and functionality. The exact scope of this will vary based on your site needs and budget, but know this: it’s not a facelift or a few extra pages. It’s a strategic overhaul that’s meant to bring your site in line with your organization’s goals, and those goals underpin all of these indicators that your site needs a refresh.
Reason #1: Your site is outdated
This can feel like a subjective judgment to make about your site. But looking at other sites in your industry can help you develop a sense of what to compare. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes; what might they think if they compared your site with your peers? Do your peers have features you haven’t considered? A more effective site structure? A more compelling aesthetic? These are all things to take note of; if you find that the list is quite long, it’s a good indication that it’s time to refresh your site.
Reason #2: Your audiences aren’t taking action
Websites are supposed to educate your audiences or inspire some kind of action. You may be trying to get them to download a PDF, fill out a contact form, or even just call you. If they’re not doing what you need them to, that should set off some alarm bells. Analytics will give you a sense of how they’re getting to your site and where they’re spending their time, and with that information, a good website development and creative agency can help you form a strategy for your site refresh.
Reason #3: Your organization or audience has changed
Many businesses change their offerings or update their target audiences. But that also means they need to update their websites! For example, this piece on Gen Z’s design preferences suggests that many members of this generation favor interactive touchpoints and dynamic interfaces. If you’ve got a very static site with walls of text, then you’ve got some serious updates to make.
Reason #4: It’s not optimized for AI search
However you feel about AI—and regardless of whether your organization is tech-forward—audiences are using AI overviews and LLMs to get answers. A recent Forbes article stated that 80% of consumers are using zero-click answers in over 40% of their searches, which means some members of your audience won’t even be going to your site at all. It’s admittedly a strange paradox: optimizing your site for people who may never visit it. Fortunately, it’s both essential and, as we’ve discussed in a previous post on SEO and AEO, not as difficult as you may think.
Once you realize you need a site refresh, there are a lot of open questions. What should you prioritize? How much should you spend? How do you find the ideal agency partner? It can be hard to know where to start. The right website development and design agency can help you figure that out, while you determine where you want your organization to go.
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