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Considering whether your biz needs a new website in the new year?
Maybe you’re looking at a rebrand or you’re targeting a new audience segment. Or perhaps your site was built around the same time that Internet Explorer was the browser du jour — and hasn’t been touched since.
So you’ve got a decision to make. Do you need a new website this year? Or would iterative updates, rather than a complete overhaul, support your marketing goals?
I’m walking through a few common scenarios and answering what I’m calling the “New website or nah?” question.
New website or nah? Yes.
If your website isn’t actually supporting your business goals, it’s time for a new one.
But before you sign on the dotted line of a five-to-six figure contract for a flashy new website, you need to understand why visitors aren’t converting. Is it weak positioning? Confusing messaging? An unclear user journey? Technical issues? Outdated design?
That’s where a website audit swoops in like a seagull stealing snacks from a beach goer. Only, without the snack theft, and instead with data-backed answers to your current site’s lack of conversion power. With knowledge gained from an audit, you’ll be able to formulate a conversion-focused strategy for the new website.
New website or nah? Yes.
At the very least your website’s design must reflect the rebrand. If there is also a shift in brand positioning, then a reconfigured user journey and updated copy should also accompany that.
New website or nah? Maybe not.
If this new service is an add-on to a suite of existing services, there’s a chance only certain portions of your website — for example, your site’s navigational tabs, homepage, and services page(s) — would need an update, rather than a complete overhaul.
New website or nah? Yes.
Perhaps your company is pivoting to serve a completely new audience. In this case, yes, a new website is in order. Why? Your website’s copy and design should always reflect your audience. The website of a firm targeting homegrown mom-and-pop businesses vs. a firm targeting international corporations should look (i.e. design) and sound (i.e. messaging) very different from one another.
New website or nah? It depends.
If there are only a few design changes sprinkled throughout the site (for example, color contrast), then simply updating those elements may be the only changes necessary. But if you’re looking at a large list of design and dev changes needed to meet accessibility requirements, an entire rebuild may be in order.
New website or nah? Yes.
If your company’s website hasn’t been updated since the era of Myspace and Nickelback, then yes, a new website is in order. 😉
Bottom Line: New website, or nah? The answer to this depends on business goals and your site’s current conversion performance. Which means that an article like this can’t give you a clear yes or no answer. Need help deciding? Book an intro call with Starling Co-Founder and Head of Accounts, Andrew, to help you decide your next best step.
Ally Willis is Co-Founder and Head of Strategy at Starling
With a background in conversion copywriting since 2017, she helps clients ask questions, analyze research, test theories, and dig through the results to create custom website optimization strategies.