Your website may have been built using the latest, cutting-edge technology years ago, but things move on and it is more than likely that your website is now out of date with an old, unsupported platform running behind it that is seriously in need of an upgrade.

There are a number of advantages to upgrading your website platform, which we have explained here. If you’re still not convinced that your website needs to be re-evaluated, then below are some points you should check to see how healthy your site really is.

Compatibility

To ensure that every visitor to your site is going to see it in the best possible way, you should check how your site appears across all of the major browsers (IE, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and also on mobile devices. Websites can often appear differently across browsers, aspects of your website such as the font and spacing can be interpreted differently by browsers so it is important to check in order to make sure the site is consistent.

Older platforms can be harder to support, so if there is a browser compatibility issue with your site, there is a high chance that this cannot be easily rectified or it may be costly to you.

Mobile searches have now overtaken desktop searches – with this increased mobile traffic you need to make sure that your site is also mobile friendly. There has also been a recent Google update to reflect this change and their algorithm now gives preference to mobile compatible websites on their mobile search.

If your site is a few years old, it is unlikely to be mobile compatible and in most cases, old platforms are unable to support a responsive mobile theme so if you want to be compatible, a rebuild may be necessary. You can find out more about mobile compatibility here

Functionality

Does your site contain any special functionality? For example an e-commerce or online booking feature. When was the last time you checked how this was functioning? Take some time to run through your site as a customer would, or ask someone who is unfamiliar to the site to test it out on your behalf. Check that everything still works as you would expect it too.

Websites require regular updates and maintenance to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly, so if you’re operating on an old system, it’s likely that these haven’t been applied or they may no longer be supported altogether. There may also be serious security implications if updates haven’t been installed, which may leave your site vulnerable and open to hackers.

Competition

What have your competitors done with their websites? Google some of your key search terms and see who comes up top of the search results, what does their website look like compared to yours? This is important to check so you have an idea on what other competitors are doing which may entice potential customers away from you.

When looking at competitors, you may spot certain elements that you like and may wish to incorporate into your own site. For example, a hairdressers may have an online booking facility for appointments, which would be of use to your customers. However, if your website platform is restricted because of its age, amendments may not be possible.

Don’t wait…

Eventually, an outdated website will start to have a negative impact on your business. Your competitors sites will far outrank yours and the usability issues will turn any potential customers away. Updates to browsers, Google search and consumer expectations will keep evolving, so don’t leave it so long that you’re left far behind…

If you’d like to speak to someone about upgrading your website, then give IRUN a call on 01865 920 003 or you can email us here