4 SIGNS THAT YOUR SITE NEEDS AN UPDATE
BY KEVIN MEAD, OWNER & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
There’s a misconception that a website becomes outdated every three years. At Nor’easter Digital, we don’t agree. We believe in an individualized analysis to determine when it’s time to update a site, and that updates don’t always require a complete overhaul. Sometimes, a few strategic adjustments to your site’s structure, design, or copy can help better meet your goals more quickly and cost-effectively. No timeline rule can accurately assess your site’s usability and quality. These are the indicators we consider most important that your site might be ready for a refresh.
1: You Can’t Update Your Site Without Calling IT
If only one person knows how to add a blog post or update copy, something needs to change. A healthy website’s editor should allow anyone with minimal training to update, add, or edit content. If you need extensive technical support for even the smallest update, it’s likely your team would benefit from an easier-to-use editor.
2: Content, Design, or User Experience Are Hurting Engagement
If your website looks dated, if customers routinely ask questions your site should already answer, or if your content no longer reflects who you are, it may be contributing to lower engagement. And when engagement drops, it is not always due to a lack of interest. Your site architecture or user flow may no longer match how people evaluate your services.
We use analytics to understand how people navigate your site, what information they may be missing, and where their experience breaks down. This allows us to refine your information architecture, improve content placement, and ensure your website meets potential customers where they are and delivers the information they need.
3: Your Website Has Become a Patchwork of Temporary Fixes
Many sites accumulate years of one-off edits. We’ve seen band-aids of add-on tools, outdated embeds, and repeated content across pages. If your site has grown in an unstructured way, or if the distinction between pages is no longer clear, it may be time to reassess your overall site architecture. At Nor’easter, we’ll help you redesign your website to support clarity, usability, and long-term maintenance with future evolution in mind.
4: Your Audience Has Changed
Your organization may have expanded into new markets. You may serve a different age group, other businesses, or regional audiences instead of national ones. If your target users have shifted, your site and copy should shift with them. Good sites are designed around the people who use them. If the people you serve look different from how they did when you launched your website, it should reflect your current reality.
THE BOTTOM LINE
You don’t need to rebuild your website on a fixed schedule. Sometimes a complete overhaul isn’t needed either. You should update your website when it stops working for you, your team, or your customer base. If any of these indicators sound familiar, reach out to us. We offer free 30-minute consultations to discuss your site concerns, whether you want a minor refresh or a full redesign. Examples of our recent work to see how we help organizations modernize and improve their sites. If your site is no longer working for you, your team, or your audience, Nor’easter Digital can help you get it back on track.