Is Your Website a Bit Shit

So, is it?

Go on, you can admit it – I won’t tell anyone…

This is something that I regularly ask both here on our website and also on social media. Mainly because I am all about honesty so never mince my words. And by admitting that your website is a bit shit you can work out how to fix it.

It’s a bit like any other problem in business or life in general. Until you face the fact that something is wrong there is nothing that you can do about it. Oh, and I know that there are many reasons why you might not want to admit that your website is a little bit shit:

You've already spent a lot of money on your website

I get it, websites are not cheap. However, if that investment is made in a website that you fall in love with, then clients will love it too and ltimately it will bring in more of the right people to your business. Is it really worth sticking with a shitty website just because you’ve paid for it?

It hurts to admit that it's not quite right

Yeah, it really sucks to admit that something you’ve put your all into doesn’t work. It’s even worse when you’ve put your trust in someone and they’ve let you down. It makes you feel stupid and difficult to trust anyone with your website again.

You just can't bear to go through it all again

One of our clients once told us that the pain of facing her website again was worse than childbirth! Now, while this may seem extreme I do understand that it is yet another thing to add to your already full to-do list and that can be enough to put it off indefinitely.

What can you do to sort your website?

Here are the 5 steps I’d recommend when it comes to looking at your website to make sure you don’t make the same mistakes again…

Step 1 – Come to terms with where you are now

As I’ve already said, the first step is admitting that your website is not working and is, in fact, a little bit shit. This is not only the most important step but it’s usually the most difficult.

Once you’ve admitted this to yourself and realised that what’s done is done there can be a real sense of relief. It clears the way for creating solutions that will work in future.

Step 2 – Figure out what you really need

Instead of leaping into yet another website because you are panicking, take some real time to research what it is that you really need.

Look at your business as a whole and how your website integrates with other functions. Create a wishlist of features and automations that would really help you. This will give you a clear idea of the items you are willing to compromise on and those that are deal breakers. You then have a clear list to work from when designing your new site.

Step 3 – Talk to the professionals

You may be tempted to just go with a recommendation at this stage, but please do your homework!

I recommend speaking to a few web design professionals to get insights into the technology that is out there now – things will have changed since you last built your website and there is ALWAYS more than one solution! This includes keeping your current site and simply updating what you have.

Why more than one? Because every designer works differently and it’s not just about WHAT they can offer, but the technology they use, the businesses they specialise in helping and how you FEEL about them. You’ve got to get all of these things right to ensure you have a great working relationship.

Step 4 – Decide who to hire – if anyone!

It’s easy to put off making a decision because it all feels too much like hard work. But you can’t get started on the new site or rebuild until you decide who to hire. Get the ball rolling by saying ‘yes’ to the web designer you feel is right for your business and they will help you with the next stages of the project.

Oh, and if you are going to do it yourself, then making this decision is just as relevant. Don’t be swayed by outside opinion if you are certain that you can do it – and more importantly want to do it. Most web designers started out building their own websites and it is possible to build or rebuild your own amazing site.

Step 5 – Remain accountable

Dedicate time to making sure that you are accountable for the new website or rebuild. This may seem like a strange thing to say, but I have seen too many people hand over control of their website to a web designer and then blame them when the final design doesn’t hit the mark – yet again.

Your website designer should give you great advice and offer suggestions, but at the end of the day YOU are in control as it’s your site. So speak up if you don’t like something and make sure you have regular conversations with the designer to check they are creating what you ask for.

One final note…

Remember that your website will ALWAYS need refreshing and updating. Not only will your business change over the years, but so will technology.

In fact, technology change is moving faster than ever before and shows no sign of slowing down. This means that where a website design could last 5+ years a decade ago, it’s now more likely to be ‘on trend’ for around 2-3 years at most.

So, don’t be disheartened if your site is not up to scratch – most websites will look a little shit at some point and planning for a major update or complete rebuild every few years should be part of your business plan. 

And if you’d like to speak to us about your rebuild then drop us a message…