Is Your Website 2019 Ready?

Why in the world would you start a project like revamping your website in calendar Q4 of 2018? Because you want to start calendar 2019 off on the right foot. Do you still have time to launch your new website before January 1? Absolutely, but you need to get started.

“How can that be?” you might be thinking. “Can you really get a site up that fast?” Again, the answer is yes. Website engagements used to be months of coding and getting it just right before you launched because updating sites was cumbersome. That line of thinking is outdated and could be costing you more than you realize.

The old mindset was, once the website was up and running, don’t touch it again. But today, websites aren’t meant to be static. They are supposed to change and evolve, which means updating the site should be simple and it should follow a process. If you can’t easily update your site, it’s time to move to WordPress or a similar website platform. If you don’t have a process for updating your site, add to your To Do list creating and documenting this process. Tell Your Tale can help you make the transition to WordPress and other platforms and can help you document a simple process that empowers employees to suggest updates.

You may also think your site is fine for another quarter or two because it doesn’t get much traffic, it doesn’t generate sales for you and you are still hitting your business targets. That is good, but are you missing business because your website isn’t doing its job? That may be a real “what if” scenario that is hard to quantify. So here are some statistics to ponder from business.com.

If your business survives from the 3 percent of consumers not researching online or the non-judgmental 25 percent, then more power to you. The rest need to keep innovating online and paying attention to customers’ wants and needs.

Your site could be costing you business. It might also be costing you talent. Hiring this time of year is common. Maybe it’s the holiday rush or due to new initiatives launching next year. A new flock of December college graduates is getting ready to hit the market, which is looking at your website and wondering how it will reflect on them to work for a company like yours. This group of graduates are among the first that have grown up online. Your website and the culture of your company are more important to them than the paycheck you’re going to pay them. Look at your closest competitors. Are you willing to lose the next big talent in your field because your website isn’t keeping up?

Maybe you’re just not sure where to start. The task can seem daunting. However, Tell Your Tale can help and would like the opportunity to have a conversation with you about what your site is doing well and where you would like your site to improve. A checklist to prepare for a website revamp is quite helpful. To start, invest the time to review the site and secure feedback on strategies to accomplish your goals. Ensure your website strategy fits your branding and reflects the culture of your organization as well as the needs of your target audience. For example, are your key buyers typically visiting websites on desktop computers after work or are they researching options in small periods of time during the day on a mobile device? You should definitely take your buyers’ habits into consideration when updating your website.

Budget is often a consideration for website overhauls. However, there are often ways to divide your website revamp into stages that are manageable from both a time and financial standpoint. Working with a professional website designer also allows you to avoid common pitfalls, saving time and money as well.

So, don’t put your website off for another quarter or another year. Start 2019 off by announcing your new website that truly reflects the culture of your company, the diversity of your employees and how much you appreciate your customers and your community. Contact Tell Your Tale today to get started.