A good website is more than just aesthetic — it can improve things like user experience, conversions, brand awareness, and so on.
Websites have a funny way of collecting little issues over time. A new page gets added here, a service gets updated there, someone rearranges the navigation, and before long, your website isn't quite pulling its weight.
The tricky part? It’s not always as obvious as a website that still looks like it was designed when flip phones were cutting-edge technology.
That's why we've rounded up seven signs your website may be due for a strategic redesign. You might not check every box, but if a few of these sound familiar, it could be time to take a closer look.
Image from giphy.com
If your website only offers one path forward — i.e., “Buy Today!” “Save Big!” “Book Now!” — you may find your site visitors wishing “Get Out of My Face!” was an option.
Your website attracts people at all different points in the decision-making process. Some are ready to have a conversation today. Others are still doing research, weighing their options, or trying to decide whether now is even the right time to move forward. They may all be interested, but they're not all going to be ready for the same next step.
If every button on your site asks visitors to make a big commitment, some of them are going to get scared off. It's kind of like proposing on the first date … even if they like you, it might be a little early.
That's where a secondary (or indirect) CTA comes in. Instead of asking visitors to jump straight into a sales conversation, it gives people who are still in research mode a comfortable way to keep getting to know your business.
This happens when visitors have trouble finding what they’re looking for.
If your site suffers in this regard, you've probably noticed yourself getting bogged down with people calling your office to ask simple questions instead of using the website. Valuable time you could be spending driving the business forward — making sales, scheduling meetings, following up on leads — is spent answering the same questions over and over. "What are your hours?" "What are your prices?" "Where are you located?"
Or, worse yet, maybe they're not calling at all. 😳
Maybe your analytics show plenty of visitors, but very few people are completing forms, requesting quotes, booking consultations, or taking that next step. They arrive, click around for a bit, and then vanish off the face of the earth.
(There’s no other explanation, right?)
A lot of the time, usability is the culprit. Visitors shouldn't have to work to understand your website, yet it's surprisingly easy for sites to become more confusing over the years. New pages get added, navigation grows into a choose-your-own-adventure novel, and CTAs (calls to action) start competing with one another for attention. Before long, people spend more time figuring out where to click than deciding whether they want to work with you.
A few telltale signs your website needs a strategic redesign include:
One client came to us with more than 20 links on their homepage alone, which made it hard for visitors to choose a direction. Navigating their site felt a bit like Alice must have when she tumbled down the rabbit hole.
We’re about halfway through their strategic redesign now, and already, they’re seeing an improvement in engagement metrics!
Image from giphy.com
Take a look at your homepage. Does it open with your company history? A mission statement? A paragraph about how passionate you are about what you do?
People don't usually visit a website because they're dying to learn when your company was founded. They're there because they have a problem that needs solving. If they have to scroll through three paragraphs about you before they can figure out how you’re going to help them, you've made them do more work than they signed up for.
Think of your website like a story. Your visitor should feel like the main character from the very first headline. They have a problem, they're looking for someone who understands it, and they're deciding who they trust to help them solve it. If your copy spends all its time introducing your company instead of acknowledging what brought them there, you've buried the hook.
Real fans know this strategy is called StoryBranding, and it’s something we could talk about forever here at Wild Fig!
Your website is doing its job by generating interest ... just from the wrong people. 🥴
This is common when your messaging, imagery, or keywords speak to a different audience than the one you're hoping to attract.
It happens more than you might think. Businesses devoted to commercial real estate end up hearing from homeowners who want a custom house. MarTech teams get inquiries from companies looking for someone to set up their office Wi-Fi. Cleaning supply companies receive requests from people searching for a house cleaner. Coffee bean distributors get mistaken for the nearest Starbucks drive-thru. We've seen plenty of head-scratching moments over the years.
In many cases, it's because your website is speaking to a broad demographic instead of a well-defined buyer persona. Without a clear picture of who you're trying to reach — their goals, pain points, and the problems they want solved — your messaging becomes generic enough to attract people who were never the right fit in the first place.
AMA Appliance Service has built its reputation around servicing a very specific group of luxury appliance brands. That specialized training is exactly what makes their service so exemplary; it allows their technicians to diagnose problems faster, avoid unnecessary return trips, and deliver a better overall experience for homeowners.
The problem was that their old website didn't do enough to communicate that specialization, leading to inquiries from people with appliances they didn't even service.
So, as part of their website redesign, we put their niche expertise front and center. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, the messaging clearly explains which brands they service, why that specialization benefits homeowners, and what customers can expect when they choose AMA.
Now, instead of sorting through inquiries from people with appliances AMA doesn’t specialize in, their website does a much better job of attracting the people they actually serve. That's a win for their team and for homeowners looking for a true expert.
This happens when the only way for a prospect to take the next step is to catch your business while someone's sitting at a desk.
A few signs your website needs a strategic redesign:
Picture this: It's 9:30 p.m. It's pouring outside. Your could-be lead worked late, forgot to thaw the chicken, and finally gave up on cooking in favor of DoorDashing some tacos. They open their phone, notice yesterday's Google search is still sitting there, and suddenly remember "that thing" they've been meaning to look into since February. One quick search turns into a full-blown research session. 45 minutes and six browser tabs later, they've landed on your website ... and they still haven't ordered the tacos.
Jackpot. They want to reach out ...
… but the only option is to call you tomorrow between 8:00 and 5:00.
By tomorrow morning, they may still remember you ... or they may have found somebody else. The internet moves fast.
Your website doesn't clock out at 5:00, and neither do your potential customers. If your site can't capture interest outside of business hours, there's a good chance opportunities are slipping by while everyone is off the clock.
Need some creative inspo? Check out Our Favorite B2B Lead Generation Strategies!
Van Dolder's Kitchen & Bath wanted their website to keep working long after the showroom lights were off. So, as part of their website redesign, we added online consultation scheduling, allowing prospects to book appointments whenever it was convenient for them (even if that happened to be 9:30 at night, in the midst of a questionable taco delivery decision).
Every consultation request was automatically added to HubSpot's CRM, creating a seamless experience for both the customer and the team.
The result? Four online consultation bookings within the first two weeks after launch. Now that’s the kind of overachiever every business wants on the payroll!
Image from giphy.com
Maybe you've caught yourself saying, "Don't judge the website …" before sending someone a link. Or perhaps it's, "We're working on a new one!" (You've been saying that since ... let's not put a year on it.)
If that little disclaimer has become part of your routine, your website is hurting your credibility.
People form opinions about a website in a matter of seconds, and those first impressions aren't based solely on the words on the page. Random colors, inconsistent fonts, blurry photos, cluttered layouts, and obnoxious popups can make an otherwise great business feel behind the times. Even if your products or services are exceptional, visitors may start wondering whether everything else has been neglected, too.
And it’s not just your aesthetic that’s suffering! Good design is intentional; it helps people move through your site without second-guessing where to click next. We’ve compiled some helpful tips for you here: Spring Clean Your Website.
And for the record ... beveled buttons called. They'd like to stay in 2002.
Remer Custom Docks had a website that had served them well for years. But as the business grew, it became clear their online presence had some catching up to do. Their branding had evolved over time without a consistent direction, and small details — like communicating with customers through a Hotmail address instead of a company email — no longer reflected the level of professionalism they brought to every project.
As part of their website redesign, we chose one logo to commit to, established a cohesive brand identity, built a modern website around it, and introduced professional email addresses using their own domain.
Now, when someone lands on Remer Custom Docks’ website, they're greeted with the same polished, trustworthy experience they'd expect when working with the team in person. (And, BONUS, the Hotmail address finally got to enjoy a well-earned retirement.)
This one should make you go, "Well ... DUH." But you'd be surprised how many websites aren't measurable.
Maybe your website looks great. Maybe customers have even complimented it. Your mom thinks it's beautiful. (Thanks, Mom. We appreciate the support.) But none of that tells you whether your website is helping your business grow.
One of the biggest signs your website needs a strategic redesign is when success is measured by opinions instead of outcomes. A website should support a business goal, whether that's generating qualified leads, increasing visibility, encouraging service requests, or simply making sales. If you can't measure those things, you can't confidently say whether your website is succeeding or falling short.
“How will you measure the success of the work you do for us?” If you’re considering having someone else design your website, that’s just one of the important questions you should ask. We’ve compiled the other nine here: How To Hire the Right Digital Marketing Agency for Your Business.
A pretty website is nice. A website that helps your business achieve its goals is even better.
So ... how many of these signs sounded a little too familiar? 😅
If you found yourself nodding along to a few of them, don't stress. It doesn't automatically mean you need to throw the whole website out and start over.
Sometimes the problem is easy to spot — you've got visitors, but no one's taking action. Maybe your navigation has turned into a maze, or your design is showing its age. Other times, it's harder to put your finger on. You find yourself hesitating before sending someone the link, or reading your homepage thinking, "I mean ... I guess that sounds like us?"
That's where we come in.
If you'd like help identifying what's holding your website back (and, more importantly, what to do about it), schedule a discovery call with Wild Fig. We'll take a look at what's working, pinpoint the biggest opportunities for improvement, and help you build a website that doesn't just look good, but helps your business grow.
