5 Ways an Ugly Website Can Hurt Your Business
Do you have an ugly website? Be honest with yourself. If there is even a doubt in your mind that your website may be due for a face-lift chances are, you are WAY past due for one!I'm obviously a bit bias on the topic of having an ugly website. It's my job to make your business look good by creating a visually appealing brand for you. However, having an ugly website goes beyond aesthetics which many business owners don't realize. I hear people say all the time "I made a free site myself and it works fine." 9 times out of 10 this is not the case. There are typically things throughout the site that need to be improved but they go unnoticed without the help of a professional.With that in mind, here are 5 ways an ugly website can hurt your business. 
It's Sending the Wrong Message
If you want to be seen as an expert, or the best in your industry you better have a website to match. Your website is a direct reflection of your business. If a user visits your site to find an ugly, outdated website that is not user friendly, it may cost you credibility. Plus, many users will judge your company based on what they find when they visit your website. Unless they personally know what you're capable of already, many users will judge your abilities based on what they find on your site. Having a professional website shows you are an established business that is performing well. Basically it says you know what you're doing!
Your Ugly Website is Hard to Navigate
User experience is an important component of website design. User experience is often one of the first things that is compromised when someone has an outdated site. This is especially true if you have tried to design your site yourself. On your website, your content should be organized so users can easily navigate and find what they are looking for. If you've organized it yourself, you may have your information presented the way YOU'D look for it, not the way your customer would. With that said, if you have an ugly website that is outdated, there is a chance your user experience isn't the greatest. When a user can't find what they are looking for, they will go elsewhere and you've lost business.
Your Content is Outdated
If it's been a while since you've refreshed your design, it's probably been a while since you've looked at your content. The two usually go hand in hand. Having outdated content on your site can also hurt your business. Your website should accurately depict your key messaging for your business as it stands today. Websites are meant to be a living marketing tool that is updated regularly. It should also be free of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Having errors in your site can also hurt your credibility.
Ugly Usually Means Old
I'm not saying you need a new website every year, but you do need to keep up with the times. We are a mobile world. If you have an old, ugly website it may not be mobile friendly. Google does not like unresponsive sites and neither do users. You can do a simple check to determine if your site is mobile-friendly. Click here to try it out. If it's not, it's definitely time to update. We want to keep our friends at Google happy.
The Search Engines Don't Want to Look at Your Site
And not because it's ugly! Because it's outdated and not set up properly on the back end to catch the search engine's attention. If your outdated site is not optimized properly, it may not come up as high as it could in the search results.The bottom line...you only get one chance to make a first impression. Updating your ugly website is an easy fix and can greatly improve your chances of turning a website visitor in to a paying customer. If it's time to take your website from ugly to awesome...let's talk!
