How to Improve the Lifespan of a Website

Scenario 

You are a small business owner.

A few years ago, it was recommended to you to create a website and have an online presence. You thought this was a great idea and consulted a professional well versed in website design.

Your website was published to the world wide web and soon after, you saw your business increase. Great! Your website is creating an uptick in interest for your business and you couldn’t be happier!

You figure it is time to focus on other areas of your business, so you push your website off to the side for a little while. After all, you just created it.

Truth

Websites have a lifespan. Did you know that the average lifespan of a website is roughly three years? The truth is, we are a technologically-driven society with short attention spans. As consumers, we want fast, well-designed, and responsive websites that translate across devices.

So how does a business owner keep up with consumer demand when it comes to an online presence? And why is an updated website so important?

Attention Span

Your basic consumer will give a company and their website about 50 milliseconds to decide your website is one they want to interact with. If your website is outdated, has a cumbersome layout, or has features that are no longer working, your potential customer will disengage. Consumers look to a company’s website to base their potential relationship with that company. 

What happens when a consumer gives you the initial 50 milliseconds of time to engage with your website? How do you keep their attention?

Your website must be fast, attractive, and have a terrific user experience. In fact, 77% of business owners believe that their clients view poor user experience as a weakness to a company. If your website is aesthetically pleasing, adheres to current design trends, and ultimately gives your potential customer a positive and easy user experience, then you are that much more likely to gain trust with your consumers.

Multiple Device Responsiveness

Does your current website translate across devices? Can your website be displayed in a similar way on a mobile phone as it does on a laptop computer? These are factors when it comes to the lifespan of a website.

As technology advances, consumers want to engage with websites that will translate across devices. For the best responses from potential customers in mobile marketing, business owners need to employ strategies to optimize mobile device usage with their websites. In 2018, 58% of visits to websites were done on mobile devices.

Not only are consumers relying on a mobile web presence, the use of mobile devices by consumers to online shop has increased significantly in recent years. In 2018 alone, 55% of those shopping online were using a mobile device to complete their purchases.   

Call to Action (CTA)

Your website is a great opportunity to communicate with your clients. Taking the time and care to develop content and design your layout in an effective way shows your clients how much they mean to you.

When you grab their attention and give them a positive user experience across multiple devices, you must also remember to communicate what you want them to do, and that’s what a CTA is all about. The CTA is the final instruction you give to your audience. About 70% of small businesses lack a CTA on their website. But a well-written and strategic CTA will translate website traffic into leads for your business.

There are a lot of aspects for business owners to consider when creating and maintaining an effective web presence for their clients. But you are not alone.

At Proximo Marketing Strategies, we are here to help. We are the experts. If you feel that your website could use a new look, a better user experience, and a more effective way to translate across devices, give us a call at (757) 504-2429! We’d be happy to help you improve the lifespan of your website!