An outdated website can spell danger for any eCommerce business. It can drive away potential customers, dampen a shopperâs experience, and even decrease your businessâ credibility. Despite this, there is no set timeline for how often you need to update your site. Forbes estimates websites should be updated roughly every 2-3 years, but most website redesign occurs on a case-by-case basis. While there isnât a set time frame that determines when you should have a website redesigned, there are signs you can look for. Here are five telltale signs your eCommerce site could use a facelift:
1. Your website has poor UX
Source: Unsplash
Your website is essentially your eCommerce businessâ welcome mat for your customer (weird analogy, I know, but stay with me). So in order to leave a good impression, your site should be providing a welcoming, easy to use, painless experience for your customer (aka UX).
By providing solid UX, your websiteâs design can determine your customers' opinion of your business. A Behavior and Information Technology Study found it takes people about 0.5 seconds to make a judgement. So, you have about half a second to make a positive first impression on your customer.
Thatâs why your siteâs UX holds so much weight. If your website is old and outdated with poor UX, it can diminish the interaction your customer has with your site. This, in turn, can impact your first impression and your perceived credibility.
Your website should be easy to navigate, responsive, and present your products in an appealing manner. After reading this section, are you lacking solid UX on your site? Then itâs time for a redesign.
2. You're still using Adobe Flash
Source: Unsplash
If itâs your businessâ goal to reach as many potential customers as possible, you may want to avoid using Adobe Flash. Flash is no longer compatible with major Apple products, like iPhones and iPads, due to the way it drains memory and data. Furthermore, Flash will not work with Google Chrome in the near future.
Adobe Flash has also been subject to security issues, which can make it a major hazard for those using it. Similarly, this software has notoriously slow waiting times. Still arenât convinced? Adobe itself, is telling their customers to abandon ship and say goodbye to Adobe Flash.
In order to provide a site that is quick, secure, and accessible on all devices, you should be switching up your multimedia software platform for your eCommerce site (like HTML5).
3. You donât have a one-click payment options
Source: Unsplash
Picture this: You are purchasing from an eCommerce website and the checkout is taking an ungodly amount of time. Would you leave the page or stay? If you would choose to leave, it wouldnât be a surprise. As we see below, 11% of web buyers abandon their carts if the checkout process is too complex. Checkout is one of the most likely places for your customers to bounce.
You can solve this issue by making your checkout process as expedited as possible. One way to accomplish this for your business would be offering one-click payment options. Amazon is a great example of how to streamline the checkout process by using one-click payments.
Source: Invesp
One-click payments enable your customers to save their payment information in order to avoid entering it for future purchases.This can save your them time and improve the flow of their checkout experience. You can link one-click checkouts with different payment options like Apple Pay or PayPal.
To ensure your customer is getting through their lifecycle with ease, redesigning your checkout is a great place to start.
4. Your page speed is slow
Source: Unsplash
Time is money. Even a mere two second delay in your siteâs loading time could cause a 20% increase in your shopping cart abandonment rate. Often times, an outdated site has a slow loading time.
When sites are outdated, theyâre usually implementing old technologies, messy code, and poor optimization practices. Since programming languages change with frequency, a language used three years ago might have already been improved upon five times over. In fact, companies like Walmart have even done extensive studies on how website performance affects conversion and cart abandonment rates.
5. Your website has a high bounce rate
Source: Unsplash
If you want a quantitative sign your website needs an update, look at its bounce rate. This will enable you to see if your customers are taking any actions on your site. In other words, is your page drawing customers, or turning them away without clicking on anything.
A high bounce rate is a sign your site is no longer drawing customers. Google Analyticsâ page says, âif your home page is the gateway to the rest of your site (e.g., news articles, product pages, your checkout process) and a high percentage of customers are viewing only your home page, then you donât want a high bounce rate.â
Your website should be compelling customers to stay on it, either with its design or content. Pay attention to your siteâs bounce rate.If itâs high, it's a sign your website is in need of a redesign.
Okay, my website is showing these signs, now what?
Source: Unsplash
Youâve skimmed through this article, and, hopefully, determined whether or not your website needs a facelift. After going through this list, if any (or all) of these signs apply to your eCommerce site, itâs time to update!
In order to provide your customers with the best experience and use your website to its fullest potential, you should be taking active steps towards modernizing it (whether that means hiring a professional designer/service, or tackling it on your own). Ultimately, updating your site helps you maintain a competitive edge and ensures a positive experience for your customers.
Ready to update your website? Checkout POWr's extensive library of 50+ plugins!
Each plugin is fully customizable and created to blend seamlessly with your site while adding much needed functionality.
Learn more about POWr's mission here!
Taylor is a Content Writer at Codal, authoring blog posts anywhere from UX design to other facets of the vast World Wide Web. Taylor aims to produce relevant and engaging content. When she's not immersed in the world of development and design services, Taylor spends her time: reading classic American literature, binge-watching a Netflix series, or ordering an excessively large iced coffee from her local Starbucks.