How Do I Know if I Need a New Website?

One of the questions I’m asked most often is…

How do I know if my organization needs a new website?

Usually, the person asking the question is either getting conflicting opinions within their organization (some people saying they need a new websites while others are saying they don’t). Or they see it one way while their boss sees it another way. (“Our website is terrible, but my boss thinks its fine.”)

Because OurChurch.Com builds websites, you might think we’re out to convince you you need a new website. But the truth is we genuinely want to see you make the best use of the resources God has given you. We don’t want you building a new website you don’t really need.  So, previously I wrote 5 Reasons NOT to Replace Your Website.

Now that we’ve looked at circumstances that don’t require a new website, in this post we’re going to look at

7 Reasons You Should Replace Your Website

1) Your current website is not mobile friendly. Would you like to double your website visitors? Half of all website visits are made on mobile devices. If your website is not mobile friendly, making it so will double the number of people who can use your site.

2) Your current website was developed on a platform that is no longer supported. If your website was built using software or a website builder that is no longer supported by the developer, it’s only a matter of time before something breaks and it can’t be fixed. You could also be vulnerable to hacking and having your hacked site used for spam and fraud. You don’t want to wait until that happens to start building your new website.

3) Your current website has problems you can’t fix and the developer won’t fix. If your current website was built by a volunteer who has left your organization or you paid a developer a one-time fee to build your website which does not include support, again its only a matter of time before you encounter a problem you can’t fix. Most people don’t realize the value of great support until they need it.

4) Functionality you want cannot be added to your current website. When you built your website, it probably did everything you wanted it to. But technology and your needs can change rapidly. Perhaps you want to put audio or video on your website, add a shopping cart, do online event registration, or integrate social media. If you can’t add what you really need to your current website, it’s time to replace it.

5) Most people agree your website looks poor. Everyone has an opinion, and sometimes website design is a matter of personal preference, so we don’t recommend replacing your website because one person criticizes it. But if you ask 10 people and half say your current website is embarrassing, that’s a good reason to replace it. After all, your website is supposed to attract people not repulse them.

6) Your current website is difficult to update. If you need a masters degree from MIT to update your website or website gets stagnant when the one person who can update it is unavailable for weeks at a time, it’s time to get a website that can be updated by several people in your organization.

7) Your current website cannot be fully optimized for search engines. Some website builders don’t allow you to optimize title tags, description tags, image alt tags. Some don’t let you use H1 and H2 tags when and where you want them. I saw one recently that wouldn’t let the organization put their address at the bottom of the page. If you want people to find you in search engines, you need a website that enables you to do all of these things.

If you use NE1 for your website…

… reasons 1 and 2 definitely apply to you, and most likely 4 and 5 also apply. NE1 is not mobile friendly and soon will no longer be supported. It is also very likely your NE1 website does not look up to modern standards and does not support some new functionality you’d like in your site. You really need to replace your website.

Fortunately, the WP-EZ Website Builder solves all these problems.

The websites you can create with it are

• Mobile-friendly
• On a well-supported (WordPress) platform
• Supported by our friendly, responsive staff
• Include powerful functionality
• Include dozens of greatly-looking, customizable themes
• Easy to maintain
• Fully optimizable for search

If you’re currently using NE1, you can copy your NE1 site into WP-EZ in a few clicks starting here.

If you’re not using NE1 and you realize it’s time for a new website, build a new website here.

What do you think?

• Are these legit reasons to replace you website?
• Which of these circumstances to you?