Should you update your store’s design before it starts losing sales?

When it comes to eCommerce, the notion that website development is a one-time endeavor could be a costly misconception for entrepreneurs. Your eCommerce platform isn't merely a static digital storefront; it's a dynamic business tool that requires regular attention and upgrades to stay effective. 

Much like any other operational aspect of your business that undergoes periodic enhancements, your website demands a similar commitment, especially when it comes to eCommerce sites designed to drive revenue.

Many merchants often question the consequences of not keeping their website up to date, leading to a painful and often costly, realization of how greatly an outdated website can affect a business. Neglecting your eCommerce site's maintenance could have serious consequences. 

In this article, we will help you find out what they are and how to recognize if your website needs a refresh. But first, let us ask you a question.

Do you invest effort to identify what is the first impression your eCommerce store leaves on visitors? 

Many entrepreneurs often overlook the fact that visitors to their website form judgments about the whole business within seconds of landing on it. This initial impression, whether positive or negative, is closely tied to the design of your website.

How do we know this? Our team has communicated with many entrepreneurs in urgent need of a design refresh, but you can also find online multiple stories from business owners with antiquated online stores, grumbling about the avoidable challenges that impeded their growth because they failed to keep their design up to date. 

This situation, described above, serves as a reminder of a modern website's critical role in today's digital world.

Every online entrepreneur should accept that in an era where online presence plays a pivotal role in shaping customer perceptions having an outdated eCommerce website is not a viable option.

But how to identify if your store’s design is outdated?

Outside of using the time passed since your last improvement as the main indicator for your design attractiveness, there are a few additional indicators that the customers (mostly unconsciously) use to judge your store’s design.

1. Lack of Integrations and Online Store Features

Regardless of the platform on which the online store operates on, a multitude of features or applications await to be installed so they can elevate the impressions for your eCommerce site. Tools, plugins, and integrations exist to enhance customer service, marketing, navigation, inventory management, and loyalty programs.

Explore options such as incorporating a banner showcasing free shipping, providing personalized product recommendations, and offering discount codes. If your online store lacks these or similar basic functionalities, it's a clear sign that your site is outdated, compromising the potential for a vastly improved customer experience. 

Take a moment to discover the available tools and consider implementing them to enhance your online presence today.

2. Underwhelming User Experience (UX)

Online, the user experience (UX) stands as a crucial factor for the success of eCommerce stores, unfortunately, the UX is subjected to constant evolution and shifting consumer expectations. Customers demand a seamless, enjoyable, and effortless journey. If UX hasn't been a focus for years, your website is undoubtedly outdated, impacting its overall performance.

Signs of poor UX manifest in slow load speeds, confusing navigation, inadequate mobile optimization, broken links, and unnecessary complexities in the shopping journey. Maintaining relevance and meeting customer demands requires addressing these issues and ensuring a user-friendly online experience.'

3. Outdated Aesthetics

Customers anticipate a level of professionalism when navigating your site, they expect to have an experience similar to the one of shopping in a safe, clear, and well-maintained physical store. The visual appeal and contemporary nature of your eCommerce site play a significant role in shaping customer perceptions.

If your customers perceive your site as outdated, it might be due to keeping alive obsolete web design trends, such as crowded content pages with large walls of hard-to-read text, antiquated elements like flashing banners, auto-play videos, and background music, as well as an excess of incongruent colors and fonts that lack cohesion or alignment with your brand. Avoiding these design pitfalls is crucial to maintaining a modern and appealing online presence.

4. Lack of Mobile Optimization

Today, the mobile-friendliness of your eCommerce site is a critical factor. With an increasing number of online shoppers using smartphones, a failure to optimize for mobile can be a significant deterrent limiting your potential buyers to finish their orders.

A non-optimized site often has tiny texts, distorted images that may not load properly, and links/buttons that might not function seamlessly on mobile devices. 

Failing to address these issues promptly could lead to frustrating user experiences and, ultimately, the loss of valuable mobile traffic. Ensuring mobile-friendliness is crucial for a seamless and accessible online shopping experience.

5. Confusing navigation

Navigation difficulties can significantly hinder the user experience on your website, creating a roadblock for visitors seeking information promptly. The essence of a website lies in its ability to offer intuitive navigation, ensuring users can easily access the content they're looking for. If users encounter challenges in locating information, it's a clear indicator that a redesign or a refreshing of the sitemap should be on your list with urgent improvements.

Several common navigation issues can contribute to this problem, including a cluttered layout, an overwhelming number of menu options, a website structure mirroring your institutional hierarchy rather than user preferences, poorly labeled links, and the use of overly technical terminology or acronyms. These issues can create dead ends, leaving users frustrated and dissatisfied.

6. Inconsistent or outdated color scheme

Maintaining color consistency is paramount in establishing a strong and recognizable brand identity. The colors associated with your brand serve as a visual language, communicating the essence of your business to your audience. Consistency across various touchpoints, be it your logo, marketing materials, or website, instills a sense of coherence and professionalism. 

When colors are consistent, they evoke a sense of trust and reliability, reinforcing your brand's message and values. A cohesive color palette not only enhances brand recognition but also contributes to a harmonious and visually appealing brand presence. Whether engaging with your brand online or offline, customers should experience a seamless visual journey that reflects the essence of your business, fostering a lasting and positive impression.

The amount of issues that you can have with your design can continue almost indefinitely. To list every possible issue is not the goal of this article. We wanted to point your thinking in the right direction, so you can look at your design with a critical eye and decide if it is time for improvement. Of course, it is even better to ask a professional to do it for you. 

Feel free to reach out to our team using this link.

After we've seen some of the areas that deserve special attention, now let’s look at the outdated design issue from a different perspective and identify…

The potential harm of outdated web design

Modern users are far more sensitive to outdated designs. The millennial generation and those born after them are exposed to good-looking websites from a young age. They’ve learned to identify outdated and ineffective eCommerce sites with a single glance. 

Of course, if you haven’t refreshed your design for a long time, this can negatively impact every single person who lands on its pages which necessitates your design update to be solved promptly.

Let’s take a look at some of the challenges with outdated designs. 

1. People Don't Take Your Business Seriously

If your website is slow to load, has small fonts, and lacks proper alignment, potential customers are likely to question the credibility of your business. An outdated website can deter users from making purchases, leading to a negative perception of your brand paired with financial losses.

2. The Quality Of Your Products & Services Becomes Questionable

Your website serves as the face of your business online. Low-quality product images or banners can significantly impact your credibility, causing potential customers to question the overall quality of your products and services.

3. You Help Your Competitors That Have Already Updated Their Online Stores

Neglecting regular updates on your eCommerce site inadvertently directs customers to competitors who prioritize design, technology, and content updates. Ensure you stay competitive by actively maintaining and improving your online store design.

4. Your Outdated Website Hurts Your SEO Rankings

An outdated website negatively affects your SEO rankings, limiting your visibility in search engine results. Investing in regular updates and a responsive web design is crucial to maintaining a strong online presence and attracting organic traffic. Google penalizes lower rank sites that do not provide a positive experience for their visitors (and crappy design definitely does not contribute to anything pleasant).

5. Your Potential Customers Get Annoyed

Issues like slow-loading pages, misaligned content, obsolete information, or badly designed sections can annoy potential customers. A well-maintained website is essential to providing a smooth and frustration-free online shopping experience.

6. Your Marketing & Advertising Money Gets Wasted

Before investing in advertising or marketing, ensure your website is in optimal condition. A poorly maintained website can waste your marketing budget, as potential customers may be deterred by a subpar online experience created by underperforming design.

7. Sales are dropping

Have you noticed a decline in web traffic to your site over the past quarter? Occasional fluctuations in website traffic are normal in the business landscape, but if you're witnessing a consistent decline with no signs of improvement, it's crucial to closely examine your website.

Various factors can impact web traffic, but if your site's content is outdated and its layout is cumbersome and difficult to navigate, it's advisable to address these issues before resorting to increased spending on advertising and promotion. Online, first impressions matter, so ensure your website presents your business in the best light possible by offering a refreshed layout and compelling content to welcome visitors.

Is Modern Web Design Important?

In conclusion, the attractiveness of a well-maintained website cannot be overstated. By addressing issues promptly and ensuring a modern, user-friendly online presence, you not only enhance your brand's credibility but also lay the foundation for sustained success in the ever-evolving digital landscape. 

Remember, proactive design optimization is the key to unlocking the rewards of a delighted and engaged online audience. 

Keep refining your website to stay ahead of your eCommerce competitors. And if you need a helping hand from a team experienced especially in creating converting eCommerce designs, check this page.