As a responsible marketing agency for small businesses we are constantly looking for ways to save our customers money and increase their results.
One thing we do on a weekly basis is talk business owners out of rebuilding a website: these are the reasons why:
1. Lack of Performance Tracking
If you haven’t set up proper tracking mechanisms on your existing website, you lack crucial insights into its performance. Without data on user behaviour, traffic sources, and conversion rates, you risk making uninformed decisions during the rebuild. Understand your audience first; otherwise, you might end up with a new site that still fails to engage users effectively.
2. High Rebuild Costs vs. Benefits
Website redesigns can be expensive. If the anticipated benefits don’t significantly outweigh the costs, a rebuild might not be financially prudent. Carefully assess your budget and prioritize investments that yield higher returns. Allocating resources to digital marketing or enhancing user experience on the current site could provide a better ROI than a full-scale rebuild.
3. Risk of Losing Google Rankings
Search engine rankings are vital for online visibility. Rebuilding your website without a well-thought-out SEO strategy can lead to a significant drop in rankings. Search engines favor established websites with quality content and backlinks. A poorly executed rebuild can disrupt your SEO efforts and result in decreased organic traffic, affecting your online presence negatively.
4. Potential for Further Performance Decline
Ironically, a website rebuild done without a clear strategy might lead to a decline in performance. Factors like slow loading times, broken links, or a confusing navigation structure can frustrate users, causing them to leave your site. Instead of improving user experience, you might inadvertently create a less efficient website, driving away potential customers.
5. Diverting Focus from Your Business
Rebuilding a website is a time-consuming process that demands significant attention to detail. If you are heavily involved in the redesign, it takes valuable time away from other essential aspects of your business. Your expertise might be better utilised in core activities such as product development, customer service, or marketing initiatives that directly impact your bottom line.
