Stop Losing Business Because of Your Website: 5 Signs Yours Needs a Refresh
I’ve been seeing TOO many nurses on LinkedIn with confusing, hard to read, and rather outdated websites, and if that’s you, you’re losing customers. Full stop.
I know you can do better than that.
You’re probably thinking: “Why does my website or website copy even matter if I have plenty of sales and connections on LinkedIn?”
I’ll admit — while some content writers can get away with using their LinkedIn profile as their portfolio, I can see why having a website wouldn’t be a priority, and if that’s you, then maybe having a separate website isn’t for you.
But here’s the thing: That’s not what I’m seeing on LinkedIn.
I’m seeing great LinkedIn profiles but straight-up terrible websites with even worse copy, outdated designs, and confusing layouts.
And I don’t get it.
There’s so much left on the table when you have an unprofessional and poorly designed website because you have potential clients popping in, then immediately hitting that “X” and leaving your site for good.
So now maybe you’re thinking: “Shoot, how do I know if MY website needs a refresh?!”
Well no worries, I’m here to explain it all…
5 Signs Your Website is Absolutely Begging for a Refresh:
1 | Your design is outdated and difficult to navigate.
If visitors struggle to navigate your website or find what they’re looking for while they browse, it’s definitely time to update your site’s layout, copy, and general organization.
If your website looks outdated and doesn’t match current design trends, your website visitors may not even bother reading the content and “X” out simply because of how it looks.
Use Pinterest to find current website designs and see if yours matches the trends you’re seeing there. If you find your design is outdated or confusing, then search on Pinterest “[adjective] website design” to find ideas that align with your brand while keeping in mind how your ideal client will feel when they land your website.
You can use sites like GoLive or Tonic to purchase built-for-you website templates where you can easily plug in all your content and hit publish in a fraction of the time.
If you’re not confident in your design skills and have the budget, you might also consider hiring a website designer to refresh your design, especially if DIY-ing isn’t your thing and you know it. But I promise you, your website doesn’t have to be that serious, and your DIY design certainly doesn’t have to be perfect for you to hit that publish button.
You really can do it all yourself, especially if you have inspiration and examples from Pinterest to drive your design. Just make sure whenever you make any change or decision for your website design, consider your user experience (UX) first.
Make sure your site is easy to navigate and has clear calls to action so your visitors know what to do next, and they take your desired action. That way, you convert your visitors into loyal fans (and buying customers).
2 | Your website is slooow and broken.
If your website takes too long to load, you better bet your visitors will leave before they even see your design or content — let alone stick around to take any action.
(Am I the only one that is absolutely convinced hackers will take over my computer if a site takes longer than 2.7 seconds to load?! I’m not stickin’ around to find out to be honest — and neither will your site visitors!)
Make it easy, and use drag-and-drop website hosting platforms that optimize your website’s speed for you, like Squarespace or Showit. If DIY isn’t your thing, you’ll have to consider hiring a website developer, which could get pricey.
Also, most websites nowadays are being opened on mobile, so if your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you may miss out on a large portion of your potential audience. Hosting sites like Squarespace and Showit can design website pages specifically for mobile, and you also have the option to optimize your website functionality by turning on the accelerated mobile pages (AMP).
If your website has broken links or other errors, it can frustrate visitors and make your business look unprofessional. So, make a habit of stalking your website and clicking ALL the buttons to ensure you’re not inadvertently saving broken links to your site. Ultimately, broken links may indicate to Dr. Google that your site is outdated and, therefore, your content won’t be ranked as highly as it could be.
Lastly, make sure your website provides a seamless checkout process if you’re a product-based business or provides a contact form optimized for your services if you’re a service-based business. It will build trust and credibility with your visitors because they will notice and tell all their friends about it, too.
3 | Your website isn’t ranking.
If your website isn’t ranking well in search engine results, it may be time to revisit your SEO strategy. Just remember, optimizing your website for the search engine gods is a slow game, not a quick fix.
Ranking on search engines takes time, so be patient. The more keywords and backlinks you create will slowly trigger Dr. Google to do its thing and push your content to the people that matter.
If your website still isn’t ranking well on search engines after several months of regular content creation (aka blog posts), it may be time to revisit your SEO strategy and update your outdated content.
However, I want to be extremely clear here: The words on your website should be written for the humans behind the numbers, not for the machines driving the traffic.
Your website copy should be engaging, relevant, and persuasive — what I like to call “connection-worthy” — so you can reel in your dream client and scale a business you’re truly passionate about.
RELATED: Why Conversion Copywriting Outperforms SEO: The Benefits You Can’t Ignore
4 | Your website copy isn’t connecting or converting.
If your website isn’t converting visitors into customers or leads, it’s time to consider a serious copy refresh to improve your website’s messaging and calls to action.
If your website content is outdated, irrelevant, or not engaging enough to persuade visitors to take action, what’s the point of even having a website?
There isn’t one.
Try to write copy that is clear and easy to understand, and write engaging calls to action to drive your visitors to whatever you want them to do next.
Ask yourself, “What does my ideal client really want?” then answer that in your website copy and content because those are the questions they’ll be searching for on Dr. Google.
If you’re tired of DIY-ing everything under the sun, maybe hire a copywriter who loves to use storytelling to capture your voice, demonstrate your expertise, and connect with your ideal client — Hi, it’s me, your new copywriter reporting for duty. 😅
5 | Your website doesn’t feel like you anymore.
If your website no longer reflects your brand or the products and services you offer, it may be time for a complete overhaul. Consider rebranding or pivoting your business to more accurately align with your mission, vision, values, and overall marketing strategy.
Ultimately, your business and brand will change over time because that’s the natural progression of LIFE.
So my best advice for when your website no longer feels like you: Always start with “why” so when you’re ready to change your brand, website, design, copy, or whatever else in your business, you can do so with purpose.
Start with “why” because, as Simon Sinek states, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
RELATED: 3 Ways to Make Your Homepage POP with Personality
So, are you someone who needs a website refresh?
If you’re a nurse in business and have a website that looks drab, outdated, or just plain bad, it’s time for a refresh.
It’s frustrating to see nurses with amazing skills and expertise not caring about their website’s appearance and functionality.
I want to see nurse entrepreneurs with bombdotcom websites that are up-to-date, easy to navigate, ranking high in search engines, and converting visitors into loyal fans.
Take the necessary steps to update your design, optimize for mobile, fix broken links, improve SEO, refresh your copy, and align your website with your brand and business goals, so you can have the most connection-worthy website on the internet, scale your purpose-driven business, and positively impact the communities you’re passionate about.
Ready to redefine what it means to be a nurse and scale the business of your dreams with connection-worthy copy?
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Hey, it's Bridget — your website copywriting nurse bestie. Have we had a chance to connect yet?
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