5 Signs Your Small Business Has Outgrown Its Website
Have you ever looked at your website and thought “well…this really needs an update”? Or maybe you don’t ever look at your website, but you know your business has changed and grown since you first launched your site. Either way, your website might not be "bad”, it just might no longer fit the business you're running today.
If it’s been 3-5 years since you’ve launched your website, it may be time to review it. It may have worked perfectly when you launched it, but over time small businesses evolve, services change, target audiences change, pricing changes, brands mature, and businesses become more established. And if you haven’t updated your website, it may no longer accurately represent your business or support its current goals.
Here are five signs that your business may have outgrown its current website, and what you can do about it.
1. Your Website Doesn't Reflect Your Business Anymore
Your business probably doesn’t look exactly the way it did when you first built your website. Maybe you've:
Added or removed services
Changed your pricing
Shifted your ideal client
Changed your business model
Rebranded
Expanded into a new area
Started offering something completely new
Stopped doing something that's still prominently featured on your site
But take a look at your website and ask yourself, “Does it reflect the business I’m actually running today?”
Sometimes we get so used to our websites that we don’t even notice how outdated the information has become. We know our business has evolved, but the website is still telling the old story.
Questions to ask yourself:
Does my homepage accurately describe what I do?
Are all of the services listed still current?
Does my website speak to the type of client I actually want now?
Does my branding still feel like me?
Are there outdated offers, information, or photos?
Ultimately, you want your potential customer to know the newest version of your business, now what your business was three years ago. And the good news….often times the solution isn't a new website. It may simply be a strategic content and design refresh.
2. You’re Constantly Explaining Your Business
If people visit your website and then ask questions your website should have answered, that's a sign something isn't working. If you regularly hear things like:
“So, what exactly do you do?”
“Do you work with people like me?”
“How does this actually work?”
“How much does this cost?”
“How do I get started?”
…your website might not be making things as clear as it could.
Your website doesn't need to answer every possible question, but it should provide enough information for someone to understand what you offer, who it’s for, and what they should do next.
If you're constantly filling in the blanks, your website may need some attention. Your website should make clear:
What you do
Who you help
What problem you solve
What you offer
Why someone should choose you
What the next step is
A good website doesn’t replace a conversation, it starts the conversation and makes it easier.
3. You’re Hesitant to Send People There
Here's another one that's pretty telling…someone asks for your website, and you hesitate before giving it to them.
Maybe you think, “I really need to update that.” Or “That page is so outdated.” Or maybe you're perfectly happy with your business, but your website just doesn't feel like it represents you anymore.
And honestly, I get it. We spend so much time working inside our businesses that our websites can easily fall behind.
But if you're proud of the business you've built, you should feel comfortable sending someone to your website and saying, “Yep, this is us.”
Your website is often one of the first places someone encounters your business. Before they call you, book with you, visit your location, or request a quote, they make look you up online.
And the truth is, your website doesn’t have to be flash or a cutting-edge design with all the bells and whistles, with images moving, and text scrolling…it just needs to give someone confidence that you are the right person or business for them.
If you’re actively avoiding sending people to your own website, that’s worth paying attention to.
4. Your Website Has Become Difficult to Manage
Maybe your website technically works just fine, but you dread having to make changes to it. So the changes you want to make just keep piling up. You need to update your services, change a photo, add a new page, or fix a link, and suddenly you're thinking, “How am I supposed to do that again?”
Or maybe you don't even know how to make the change yourself, so every little update means finding someone who can do it for you. That's especially frustrating for a small business because your website isn't a static brochure, things change.
For a small business, your website shouldn’t feel completely out of your control. You should ideally be able to handle basic things like:
Updating text
Adding photos
Changing hours
Adding or removing products/services
Publishing blog posts (or events, news articles)
Updating links
Making basic content changes
At the end of the day, your website should not become another source of frustration. You shouldn’t have to tell yourself “I have to reserve an entire day to update my site.” It should be easy to maintain, update, and it should support your business.
5. Your Website Isn’t Supporting Where Your Business is Going
And this one is probably the biggest.
Maybe your website isn't technically outdated, maybe everything on it is accurate. But it was built for the business you had then…not the business you're building now.
Think about what you're trying to accomplish next, or what your business goals are. Maybe you’re trying to:
Attract higher-value clients
Generate more inquiries
Book consultations
Sell a new service
Build an email list
Improve local visibility
Establish yourself as an expert
Make your business look more established
Reduce the number of repetitive questions you receive
Whatever that goal is, your website should be helping you get there. If you're working hard to grow your business but your website isn't really contributing to that growth, it's probably time to take a closer look at what your website is actually doing for you.
Ask yourself:
What do I want my website to help me accomplish over the next 1-3 years? Then ask…
Does my current website support that goal?
A website refresh should be about more than just making things prettier; it should make your website more useful to your business.
So, Do You Actually Need a New Website?
After reading all that, you might be thinking, “Okay…so I guess I need a whole new website.”
Maybe…but not necessarily.
Just because your website has some problems doesn’t mean you need to throw everything out and start over. In fact, sometimes a few selected changes can make a pretty big difference.
So, before you decide that you need a brand-new website, take a look at what you actually need.
Maybe You Just Need a Few Strategic Updates
Sometimes the foundation of your website is perfectly fine and it just needs a little attention. It could be your copy is outdated, your photos don’t really represent your business anymore, you’ve added a service or product, or your calls to action aren’t very clear (or in some cases non-existent).
You might be able to make a big improvement by simply:
Updating your copy and services
Replacing outdated photos
Making your calls to action more obvious - instead of “Details” it says “See What a Membership Includes”
Cleaning up your navigation - reduce long navigation labels to one word
Making a few design adjustments
Addressing some basic SEO issues
Maybe It’s Time for a Website Refresh
Sometimes the problems go a little deeper than surface level design stuff. Usually what I see is that a website still has a good foundation, but the pages aren't organized the way they should be. The homepage isn't really doing its job, the design feels dated, the mobile experience could be better, and the whole thing just feels a little off.
That's when a website refresh can make sense. A refresh might mean:
Restructuring your pages
Reworking your homepage
Updating the visual design
Improving the mobile experience
Cleaning up your navigation
Refreshing your content
Making sure your calls to action actually lead people where you want them to go
With a refresh, you're not necessarily starting from scratch, you're taking what you already have and making it work much better for the business you have today.
Or Maybe You Really Have Outgrown It
And sometimes, yes, a complete redesign really is the right answer.
That might be the case if your business has changed significantly, your current website is difficult to manage, the structure has become confusing, or the platform you're using simply isn't working for you anymore.
Maybe you've gone from a handful of services to a much more established business, or your branding has completely changed. Perhaps the website was built years ago and has grown into a collection of pages and features that don't really make sense anymore.
In those situations, trying to keep patching the existing website together may actually create more work than starting fresh.
The Bottom Line
There's no rule that says an outdated website automatically needs to be redesigned. Instead, ask yourself:
What isn't working, and what does your business need your website to do now?
Once you answer that, it's a lot easier to figure out whether you need a few updates, a refresh, or a completely new website. And honestly, that's where I'd start…figure out the problem first, and then decide on the solution.
A Simple Website Checkup
So you're wondering whether your website has actually outgrown your business. Here's a quickly and simple website checkup.
Open your website on your computer, and then pull it up on your phone. Now, try to look at it like you're a potential customer who knows absolutely nothing about your business. Don't think about how long ago you built it, how much you paid for it, or all the work you've already put into it. Just look at what a new visitor sees.
Then ask yourself these eight questions:
Do I immediately understand what this business does? Could someone who has never heard of your business land on your homepage and quickly figure out what you offer?
Do I know who this business is for? Is it clear who you work with and who your services are meant for, or could almost anyone read your website and think, "I guess this is for me"?
Can I easily find what I'm looking for? Take a look at your navigation. Are the important pages easy to find? Can someone quickly get to your services, about page, contact information, or whatever they came to your site to find?
Does the website feel current? Check your photos, services, pricing, business information, and content. Is everything still accurate? Does the overall look and feel still represent your business?
Does it work well on my phone? Don't just assume it does. Actually use your website on your phone. Can you read everything easily? Are the buttons easy to tap? Does anything feel awkward or frustrating?
Is it obvious what I should do next? Once someone has decided they're interested, do they know what to do? Should they call? Book? Request a quote? Shop? Fill out a form? Don't make them figure it out.
Does this website represent the quality of my business today? This one might require a little more honesty. If someone visits your website and then meets you or experiences your services, will the website match the impression they get from your actual business? Or does your business feel much more polished, professional, and established than your website does?
Does my website support what I'm trying to accomplish? Think about where your business is headed. Do you want more inquiries? Better-fit clients? More bookings? More local visibility? To promote a new service? Build your email list? Is your website actually helping you get there?
Note: As you work through these questions, I’d actually record your answers so you can reflect on them when you’re done.
So, How Did You Do?
You don't need to get eight out of eight. But if you're reading through these questions and thinking, "Well...no. Not really. Nope. Definitely not." more than a few times, that's probably telling you something.
It doesn't necessarily mean you need a completely new website, but it may mean your website deserves some attention.
And now you have a better idea of where it may be falling short, which is a much better place to start than simply deciding, "I guess I need a redesign."
Your Website Should Grow With Your Business
Your website doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to accurately represent your business, make it easy for the right people to understand what you offer, and help them take the next step.
And if you've built a business you're proud of, your website should reflect that. It should be something you're proud to send people to.
If you're realizing your website may be a little behind your business, take a closer look at what's working, what's not, and what needs to change. You might be surprised by how much difference a few strategic changes can make.
