How to Tell Your Website is Getting Old & What to Do About It

Some of us are old enough to remember the best website designs of the 1990s. Famous for their gray backgrounds, naive clipart, and silly gifs, even the outstanding websites of this period have aged poorly. 

We may laugh and dismiss the designs of yesteryear, but if we’re not careful, our modern websites can go the way of the dinosaurs without us noticing. Just as you wouldn’t set up shop in a dilapidated building, you shouldn’t put up with aging websites. Frankly, it’s a bad look.

But how often should you refresh a website? When is it time for a website rebuild and how can you tell? Let’s explore some telltale signs.

Is My Website Old? How Can I Tell? – A Dapper Market Solutions Guide

At Dapper Market Solutions, we’re no strangers to small business website design. We’ve put countless med spas, senior living facilities, and healthcare providers back on the digital map with highly functional and attractive websites. 

But even we know how difficult it can be to spot bad navigation and cumbersome ads. Here are some of the top signs it’s time for a website rebuild.

Top Sign #1 – Poor Traffic 

Website design is purely visual, right? Well, not exactly. Believe it or not, poor design can make it difficult to get the traffic you need, especially when there’s little room for search engine optimization (SEO) keywords and expert content writing.

When you launched the latest version of your website, you were probably dazzled by the movement, the images, the layout. These are all important aspects, but Google doesn’t rank your website by the sleekness of its imagery. Without written copy (helpful content, keywords) your site could be going nowhere fast.

Good website design leaves room for expertly written SEO content. On average (and as a general rule), you’ll need 500+ words on every page you want users to find. Good design leaves room for good writing—period.

Top Sign #2 – Poor User Experience (UX)

In the world of digital marketing, policies and best practices change quickly. You can go to bed one night, confident in your design,  only to wake up with an outdated website in the morning. This is especially true of the user experience. 

If you’re noticing a high bounce rate (a percentage of visitors who leave without exploring your services), poor UX could be the cause. But what does bad UX look like?

Invasive and persistent ads can certainly contribute to the problem. Slow loading times, confusing navigation, visual noise (clutter), and even poor color choices can create the website equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. These issues are only amplified in the mobile experience—a serious problem when attracting modern consumers.

Simply put, the best-designed websites consider the user above all else.

Top Sign #3 – An Outdated Look or Aging Aesthetics

Much like SEO best practices and Google policy updates, our design preferences evolve. What looked good 10 years ago can seem painfully ugly now. For a quick and easy example, take out any old picture of your parents and check out what they’re wearing. Styles change and websites aren’t immune to those changes.

As a small business owner, you may have cut corners (or skimped on website design pricing) just to get online. But websites are more than functional—they’re a visual representation of your business.

Tiny text, big empty areas, low-resolution images, and ancient plugins can date your website as easily as wrinkles date a face. But if you provide quality services and enjoy high traffic, why should the aesthetics of your website matter?

Why Does Website Design & Development Matter?

In digital marketing, authority is the name of the game. It’s not enough to be professional—you need to look the part, too. 

Consider the issue from the lens of a consumer. If you’re looking for a facelift (a potentially dangerous, $10,000 elective procedure), who are you more likely to choose? The local provider with a responsive, attractive website? Or the local provider with janky navigation, awkward stock imagery, and an ugly homepage? 

When the stakes are high, consumers will judge you based on every last detail. They may even draw parallels between sloppy website design and sloppy business practices. Honestly, who can blame them?

Trust Us: It’s Time for a New Website

To stay at the top of your game in competitive local markets, the experts at Dapper recommend a website refresh every two to three years. If you haven’t made significant changes to your website in eight years or more, it’s probably time for a full rebuild. 

The most impressive website designs prioritize high-quality SEO content, the user experience, and sleek, modern aesthetics. These qualities should all be combined with easy navigation and seamless loading to make consumers feel welcomed and reassured. 

If you’ve noticed any of the top signs listed here, speak to a website designer at Dapper Market Solutions today.

Stay Fresh – Update Your Website the Right Way

It may be frightening to hear, but you could be losing business on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis because of your painfully outdated website. Who can blame consumers for bouncing when presented with slow loading times or garish colors? You provide amazing services, but your website may not tell that tale. Let’s get you back on the path of long-term success with a new website. Speak to Dapper about your website design today!