It’s hard to know when it’s time to part ways with an old website and move on to something new. Can your old one be fixed up a bit? Or is it broken beyond repair?
Here are a few tips for knowing when it’s time to scrap your old website and trade it in for something new.
The WordPress version, theme, and/or plugins haven’t been updated in years
If you have access to log into your current WordPress admin and you’re immediately bombarded with 15 plugin updates, a theme that’s overdue for an update, and a WordPress version that hasn’t been updated in two years—this should be your first clue that it might be time for a fresh start. Sure, there’s no harm in trying to perform these updates and get your site back on the right track, but this is probably a good sign that your site hasn’t been touched in a few years, meaning that it probably checks some of the other boxes below.
It doesn’t match your current branding
If your site is using outdated branding or design for your business, it may need a full design overhaul to get things back up to par. In my experience, it’s usually much easier to start with a fresh design: you’ll get the benefit of reimagining your site from the ground up, versus trying to do a bunch of rework in a framework that’s already been established.
It isn’t mobile-friendly
Does your site look great on a phone or tablet? If the answer is no, it’s probably time to start pursuing a fresh design. Similar to the point above, it’s often more difficult and time consuming to convert a non-responsive site to be responsive, so I’d recommend looking into a redesign if you’re in this situation. In this day and age, the expectation is that sites will function well on mobile devices (Google even gives priority to mobile-friendly sites), so this isn’t something I’d wait too long on!
It uses old technology or design practices
Things that used to be all the rage in web design, like splash pages and Flash animations have been phased out in favor of fast-loading and widely compatible CSS animations. If your site is chock full of design elements that you’re not seeing elsewhere on the web, it might be time to start thinking about a redesign that embraces new design trends and best practices.
It has painfully slow loading times
If you have to twiddle your thumbs waiting 15 or more seconds for your site to load, your site is likely checking some of the other boxes above or suffering from things like plugin bloat or subpar hosting. A new website built with current best practices and speed in mind can easily solve this problem.
What to do next?
If you’re still not sure if your old site could be fixed up or if you need a new one, I’d be more than happy to chat through your situation. Drop me a line and let’s connect!