5 Reasons Why You Should Redesign Your Small Business Website in 2024

Introduction

As we dive into 2024, it’s crucial to ensure that your website isn’t just keeping up but standing out. Many businesses are navigating financial challenges, and the thought of investing in a website redesign might seem like an unnecessary expense. And your gut feeling isn’t wrong - larger corporations oftentime times invest millions into a “rebrand” which does not particularly bring any significant benefits.

Here are five key reasons why giving your website a new look this year can be a game-changer for your business.

Refresh Your Style: Why an outdated website is a missed opportunity

Imagine walking into a store that hasn’t changed its style since the early 2000s.
That’s how an outdated website feels to visitors. An old-looking website might give the impression that your business isn’t keeping up with the times, or worse - is no longer open. Refreshing your website’s design can make your business look more credible and trustworthy, attracting more customers.

Get Found Online: Improving your visibility on search engines

If your website doesn’t show up on Google or other search engines, it’s like being invisible online. Improving your website’s visibility and findability on searches is a process called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO methods can be highly complex and are rapidly changing. They often require ongoing effort but the effort can be very worthwhile. Strategies that were effective in the past no longer work at all, especially the more unethical (“black hat”) ones. A web design agency well-versed in modern SEO, like Boujee Brands 😉, will be able to review your current SEO strategy, identify parts that are still effective, parts that have a negative impact, and recommendations for improvement, and use this to create a better performing replacement.

Aligning with Business Goals: A strategic approach

Your website should be a tool that supports and drives towards your business goals, whether it’s generating leads, sales, or increasing brand awareness. If your current site isn’t performing these functions effectively, a redesign might be the solution.

Redesigning your website offers an opportunity to realign it with your business’s core objectives. This means crafting a site that not only looks appealing but is also strategically designed to guide visitors towards taking the actions you want, whether that’s making a purchase, booking an appointment, visiting your location, or contacting you for more information. A well-thought-out redesign can transform your website from a static brochure into a dynamic, goal-achieving tool that resonates with your target audience and drives your business forward.

Staying Ahead: Incorporating the latest technologies

Keeping your website up-to-date with new technology means it can do more for you and your customers. This includes:

• Crisp, high resolution images - a picture is worth a thousand words
• Mobile-friendly design for optimal usability on mobile devices
• Modern analytics tools such as Plausible Analytics
• Security best practices to keep customer information safe - such as https encryption and avoiding old, potentially vulnerable plugins, software, and code
• Integration of new functionality such as integrated booking/ordering

Broadening Reach: The business case for an accessible website

If navigating your site feels like a maze, is slow to load, or a hassle to view on mobile devices, potential customers are likely to turn away. But it’s not just about functionality; it’s about inclusivity too. Ensuring that people with disabilities can access and use your site with ease is also the right thing to do (like retired seniors with huge bank accounts) but also expands your audience reach. This includes clear text and easy-to-navigate layouts. A redesign that focuses on making your website easy and pleasant to use can keep customers coming back.

Boujee Brands specializes in creating websites that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional, inclusive, and fast. We conduct extensive testing to ensure optimal performance across all devices. We follow the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and make use of industry-standard testing tools.

Conclusion

Redesigning your website in 2024 is about more than just a new look. It’s about making sure your online presence is strong, welcoming, and effective. This means having a website that looks good, works well for everyone, helps your business grow, uses the latest technology, and is easy to find online. By updating your website, you’re not just changing its appearance; you’re setting up your business for success in the digital world. Let this year be the start of a new chapter for your online business presence.

However, in 2024, where your online appearance can make or break your business, especially for smaller businesses who are likely to have much older and more neglected websites, a strategic redesign is less of a luxury and more of a necessity. It’s not merely about keeping up with aesthetic trends; it’s about ensuring your business resonates with customers’ and actively engages them in an increasingly competitive landscape. After all - consumers in 2024 have hundreds of options when it comes to online and we want to encourage them to transact with you.