Websites are important. This isn’t some top-secret marketing tactic that only the most successful business owners know. Your company website is crucial to the success of your business. But not all websites are created equal. Having one and having an effective, engaging, compelling one are not the same. How do you know if you need a new website?

5. Too Wordy. We get it – your company or your business has a lot of nuances and details that make you different from your competition. You want to give any potential customers the opportunity to read everything they could ever want to know about your company/products/services so they never have to ask you any questions. Brevity is the soul of wit. It’s also the soul of compelling website content. Tell them only what they need to know to convince them your company is the right choice. Not sure what that is? We’ll help you figure it out.

4. Overly Complicated. If it’s not easy to find, it’s as good as not there at all. If your site has more pages than NBC, and you don’t work for Facebook, you need to rethink what counts as necessary information. Great websites are easy to navigate. They’re intuitive to visitors’ needs. The most important information is well-labeled and easy to find. If it takes someone 11 clicks to figure out your retail hours, chances are they’ll just go somewhere else.

3. Not SEO Friendly. You spent some time on SEO when you created or redesigned your website, right? No? You’re not sure what SEO is? Search Engine Optimization is how people find your website. It’s important. Like, really important. You can have the coolest, most engaging, most effectively informative website your industry has ever seen. If it shows up on the 15^th page of results in a Google search, it will be the coolest, most engaging, most effectively informative website your industry has never seen.

2. Embarrassing. If you’re embarrassed to send potential or current customers to your website, it’s time for a new one. Whether you’re embarrassed because the design resembles the website for 1996’s Space Jam movie, or because it’s so poorly written that you frequently get asked what your native language is (and it’s English), or because it’s so outdated that you constantly have to correct the misinformation people call about, having a website you’re embarrassed to send people to is worse than not having one at all.

1. Outdated. Like most things in life, websites that are dated and out of touch are easy to spot and not very attractive. Like a 35 year old in Abercrombie and Fitch. Or clip-art on a resume. Or someone asking for a fax number. Or your dad taking a selfie. The design of your website matters. It needs to be modern, appealing and eye-catching without distracting from the message. And the message needs to be concise and well written.

Does your website pass the test? It’s important to note that it’s not usually the best idea to wait for one of these things to happen before you consider re-doing your website. Keep your website current and your refrigerator clean. Life is just better that way. Call The Quilted Squirrel for help with either one. We’re way better at the website stuff, though.