19 reasons your website could need a rethink

When is the best time to make a change to your website? When do you need to take a step back and review where you are?

Websites must continuously evolve, improve and optimise over time to mirror changes in the way organisations go to market and engage with customers, while also ensuring good performance and meeting security challenges. But often digital marketing teams are in full “go” mode and constantly busy, and websites do not actually change as quickly as they could or should do.

Sometimes there can be triggers or hints that indicate your website needs a look at and something does need to change – it could be a smaller tweak or something more fundamental required. In this post we’re going to look at some “triggers” that indicate your website might need a bit of rethink. Are any of these true for your site?

1. Misalignment between your business and your website

Businesses evolve all the time. New internal structures, new leaders, new products and services, new offices opening, shifts in brand, new go-to-market strategies. Websites are usually flexible and dynamic enough to reflect these changes, but that is not always the case. If the gap between your business and your website is growing and the misalignment is starting to get comments from internal stakeholder and customers, it could be time for a change.

2. Misalignment between your website and your customers

It is not just misalignment between an organisation and website that requires action, but also when there is divergence between what your customers want and expect from your site, and the structure, content, and features that you provide. Does your website reflect your audience segments? Are there key user journeys missing? Have they come for particular information that you do not currently provide?

3. Your CMS or DXP is nearing end of life and end of support

Many digital teams are not on the latest version of their chosen CMS or DXP. That is not a problem, but it will definitely become one if you are lagging too many versions behind. When the version you are on is nearing the time when it is out of support then it is critical to act, as it can lead to security or performance issues. Most providers including Umbraco and Sitecore have stabilised their platform so that upgrades are easier than the significant projects of the past, but you should still act now if end of support is looming, even if it’s a year away.  

4. Your analytics are bumping along the bottom

There are many reasons why analytics go up and down – particular campaigns, seasonal variations or changes to the Google algorithm can all impact your numbers. But if you over time, you are seeing visits, conversions, bounce rates, and other key indicators go in the wrong direction for a sustained period, there’s clearly something wrong.

5. There’s sustained negative feedback from customers

Even more telling than bad feedback from staff, is negative comments from customers and clients. This can be specific and give clues to where improvements are required; I couldn’t find this item, the site froze for me, where is your accessibility statement, I got a 404 message when I clicked on a link. Sustained negative feedback – particularly if also coupled with analytics that show dwindling engagement or conversions – needs to be acted upon.

6. SEO is bad, and your GEO is non-existent

Poor search engine optimisation (SEO) is often a prompt for action, but search habits are changing and now people are increasingly turning to ChatGPT, Google Gemini and other AI services to find answers to their questions and get information. Many teams are actively using Generative Engine Optimisation and Answer Engine Optimisation to get the AI engines to surface their website content. If you haven’t started, you should be thinking about it now. 

7. Your key competitors sites just look better

Everyone keeps an eye on what their competitors are up to, but if your key rivals all have much better websites than you, you may need a site rethink. Playing catch-up with your competitors can be a good element to include in any eventual business case for investment.

8. Nobody can even remember the last time your website was reviewed

Some websites only fundamentally restructured or changed during a major project – an upgrade, a redesign, a response to a security incident – but then don’t really evolve much after that. If it has been many years since the last time your website had any changes or had a review of areas such as the infrastructure, code or performance, then you should consider some kind of review to check for example for security vulnerabilities, opportunities to improve performance and SEO, and more. The internet, browsers, CMSs, cybersecurity, your organisation, consumer expectations, user behaviour and more all evolve rapidly, and websites need to keep up.

9. Your marketing team hate using your CMS

Understandably, digital teams focus on the front-end experience for users. But in practice the back-end experience is just as important. If your digital marketing team are having a tough time with your CMS because it takes too much time and effort to get straightforward things done, limits their ambitions, or is simply highly frustrating, then in turn will impact the front-end experience. If your team truly hate the CMS they use every day, then you need to do something about it.

10. Your website doesn’t support compliance

Websites have a lot of boxes to tick including some around compliance. Does your website properly allow for user consent relating to cookies and interactions such as submitting forms? Have you got an effective cookie management solution in place which supports GDPR? Do you have the right level of accessibility in place? Does your website include up to date documents such as your privacy policy or modern slavery statement? Does your sector have specific regulatory rules about how to go to market and is that reflected in your content? If the answer to any these is “no” or “not sure” then it is time for action.

11. Your CFO is raising their eyebrows at the cost

At the moment budgets are pretty constrained and there may be pressure to cut your costs. If you are simply spending too much on your website or you need to reduce your budget, there could be ways to make savings. For example, changing your CMS from a more expensive DXP to a platform like Umbraco sounds like a significant project in the short term, but could end up paying for itself in the mid- to long-term. 

12. You can’t make simple updates without a developer

Today most CMSs and DXPs are low code no code platforms where digital marketing teams can achieve vast amounts without the need of the help of a front end or back-end developer. While you’ll need support from time to time, if you are in a situation where you can’t make straightforward changes without relying on an IT colleague or agency, then that is absolutely a situation that needs to change. 

13. Your site is not optimised properly for mobile

Many people use their mobile for browser-based surfing, but some sites are still not optimised for mobile devices. If your website looks great on desktop but less so on a mobile device, it is time to take action. Sometimes this is not always an issue with how your website or CMS is set up but is to do with content that is not optimised for mobile access. 

14. You want to achieve more through integrations

Many websites are OK but not brilliant, and they could do more in terms of engagement, value, and efficiency. Are there opportunities to achieve more? Here integrating an additional solution such as a CRM system, forms, information feeds, a booking tool, or other digital marketing solutions could make a significant difference. If your website is holding you back and you have greater ambitions to improve the front-end experience, or improve back-end processes, integrations may be the way to go. 

15. Your website is very slow or things don’t load

Performance issues with page load times, images not rendering, or errors on part of your page will ultimately result in visitors going elsewhere. There will invariably be an underlying reason which can usually be solved. If these are happening, then this is definitely time to check-in to see if there is something wrong. 

16. You keep on experiencing outages

The website has gone down yet again! If you are experiencing an unexpected increase in outages or they happen on a regular basis, it needs investigating. The fix might be simple or more fundamental, but it could also be an opportunity to seek out a more thorough site check or health audit. 

17. You’re getting security warnings from CMS provider or your agency

Security on your website and CMS is critical, particularly if you are handling customer data. If you’re getting any indication that there is a potential security issue from your CMS provider or agency, due to a potential vulnerability, an out-of-date plug-in, an odd anomaly, or some rogue custom code, take it seriously and prioritise a fix to rectify the issue. 

18. Your front-end code no longer reflects good practice

Coding practices change over time. Sites get coded by different developers or even agencies who don’t quite know the context of previous changes. External changes can also happen which means the way your site is coded is no longer optimal for performance or has the potential to cause issues. If your agency or developers suspect or know that your code no longer reflects best practice, there may be rogue code left over, or there are performance issues likely caused by this, it’s time for a rethink.

19. Your page is riddled with broken links, 404 errors and typos

If your site has multiple little errors that impact the user experience, you absolutely need to do something about it. The odd typo or broken link here or there isn’t the end of the world, but when your digital shop window to the world does not represent your business in the best light, it chips away at brand trust and integrity.

Time for a health check on your website?

If you’re experiencing issues with your website or it’s been too long since you took a step back and looked at how to improve it, then it might be time for a website health check. It’s a little bit like taking the car to the garage for a service – we take a comprehensive view of your site in terms of coding quality, performance, security, compliance and more. This audit will identify any current issues, opportunities for improvement and areas of risk and suggest next steps.  

It’s a process we always carry out when onboarding new clients, and it can also help prevent issues before they actually occur. If you’re looking to ensure your site performs well and continues to improve then it is something that is worth carrying out on a regular basis.

If you’d like to know more about our health checks, or you’d like to discuss how you want to change your website for the better, then get in touch!