I don’t know about you, but I like to get the bad news first.
Here’s the bad news:
Some small businesses have a website but secretly aren’t sure what a website is for –and when it needs to implement changes.

Now, the good news:
Just a few minor tweaks can make a major difference in online visibility and ROI.

Small changes make big changes when it comes to digital marketing. Today, we’re going to share what red flags to look out for whenever your website needs an upgrade. (Hint: You probably heard a few of these before but thought it was too huge a task to tackle…)

Sign #1: Your website isn’t mobile friendly.

If you aren’t exactly tech-savvy, this means your website doesn’t appear well on handheld devices, i.e. iphone, android and tablet. It’s too large for the smaller screen and visitors can’t see the Call to Action buttons and other important functions.

Businesses who are slow to upgrade their website don’t understand one thing:

Users on smartphones are not researching, they are ready to buy! If your site is not mobile friendly, you are literally handing your leads over to another competitor.

Sign #2: Your website has no apps or plugins.

In a previous article, Tepia Co explains the importance of apps to your business and why you should create one. It’s an informative quick read and a great reference.

To sum up the importance of website apps with a nice little bow, apps make your website more responsive to visitors. They provide visitors with a fast, convenient user experience—directly linking their fingertips to your information, products or services that can make their browsing easier from any location with any mobile device.

Plugins allow you to engage visitors by enabling them to share your content via WordPress (for example) or share content on social media by just clicking a button (i.e. Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest).

There are many others, but make sure your site’s plugins and apps are placed where people can see and access them easily.

Sign #3: Your website has no call to action.

Few things on a website are as important as a well-versed and strategically placed Call to Action. When you upgrade your website, visitors need to be “encouraged” to buy from you, download your free offer, or go to your contact page to set up a consultation.

Lead magnets are crucial to capturing leads and building an email list of potential customers. They may not want to buy from you today, but when they do, your email will be sitting right there in their inbox to seal the deal.

The “out of sight, out of mind” principle

Think about the gossip rags strategically placed at the grocery store checkout line. Even the best of us have at least scanned the cover stories of People or US magazine. This tells us that potential buyers will often select what’s easiest to access. When purchasing a product or service becomes too cumbersome, people tend to abandon ship before the buy.

It’s just too much hassle. And hey, if you really wanted them to buy, you would have made it fast and easy, right? A call to action (CTA) gives your content purpose. It provides a point to the valuable asset of time visitors spend on your site. It answers the question, “What’s next?” And regardless of whether the reader becomes a customer or not, a call to action thins the herd of window shoppers and reveals serious potential clients. Because the more people’s eyes are exposed to you, when the time is right you’ll be the one they think to buy from.

Sign #4: Your website is sluggish.

Website speed deserves a spot at the top of any business’ priority list. When it comes to responsiveness, speed is everything. A great example of this is Apple. Apple had a series of popular ad campaigns a few years back on the topic.

This commercial illustrates the power of speed when it comes to internet browsing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9YkvSOq0g
This commercial demonstrates what it would be like if your computer were a person.
But what if your website were a person?

Similar to the “PC” guy in the ad, would your website keep freezing up? Would it be slow to upload? Would it take forever for visitors to scroll down the page? Does it take too long to move between your Home page and Contact Us page?

If your site is continuously freezing and hiccupping, people don’t stay long. Think about what would happen if you walked up to a person who was slow to respond. You ask them a question and they take three minutes to answer you. Chances are, you wouldn’t be talking to them long.

Communication is key, and the first way you communicate with potential customers is through your website. So if your site isn’t responding, prospects will find someone else’s who will.

Sign #5: Your website isn’t Browser-friendly

There’s something awesome about a person who can walk into any room and fit right in. We all know someone like that—or maybe we’re that person ourselves. Whether dining with Ivy League scholars or cheering on their favorite team at a sporting event, these people are able to adjust accordingly.

Your website should be the same. Whether visitors have Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari, your website needs be able to look good on any—and all—browsers.

Some companies hire people to create their website who only adjust it to one browser. The site looks great, but they didn’t mention that the site’s awesomeness doesn’t cross over to other browsers. Be sure to ask and check.

Also important: Check if your site still looks good after browser upgrades.

Internet Explorer, for example, updated its browser from version 10 to 11. Although it is still Internet Explorer, there are changes in the new version that can impact your website’s visibility (and speed).

What was once a fast and user-friendly website may become slow and disfigured on that browser’s updated version.

If you need one good reason to upgrade your website, keep this in mind:

Remember, you are not paying for an upgrade—you’re paying to capture more leads-leads that are most likely going to your competitors.

Ask about a simple and affordable solution for your website today.