You don’t have to look far to find websites that are in need of an update. Outdated web design practices can be found on many, many websites throughout the internet. It’s essential for businesses to have modernized, professional websites in order to market their products as effectively as possible. In this article, we’ll discuss five ways you can tell a website is outdated:
5 Signs Your Website is Outdated
You don’t have to look far to find websites that are in need of an update. Outdated web design practices can be found on many, many websites throughout the internet. It’s essential for businesses to have modernized, professional websites in order to market their products as effectively as possible. In this article, we’ll discuss five ways you can tell a website is outdated:
- Outdated Web Design
- Lack of SSL
- No Social Media
- Adobe Flash
- Not Mobile Friendly
1. Outdated Web Design
The most obvious indication that a site is outdated is simply how the website is designed. Some of the most common characteristics of bad web design include having too many pictures, choosing too many clashing colors, unattractive backgrounds, ugly fonts, and lack of styling. Arngren’s website is a perfect example of a website that uses way too many pictures and colors. The large number of pictures and colors tend to overwhelm and confuse site visitors.
Toad Hall’s website serves as a great example of a website that’s way too minimalist and needs something to make it more interesting. The website lacks styling of any kind and really needs something to make it more interesting.
And lastly, a great example of a website with a crazy background and strange fonts is Space Jam’s website. The novelty fonts and a space-themed background make for an old-fashioned (and somewhat nostalgic) website. While it can be nostalgic to look at these kinds of websites, it’s usually better to stick with conventional layouts and tried and true web design principles for your website.
2. Lack of SSL
SSL provides security by encrypting the information traveling from your computer to the website you’re visiting. You can tell a website is using SSL by looking for the lock icon before the URL. While it does not necessarily provide a complete guarantee of security, it’s now considered standard for websites to have SSL and at least provide this basic level of security for its visitors. Google even punishes websites who don’t have SSL with a bad search result ranking. A website that does not provide this functionality is considered unprofessional and outdated. It’s essential that modern, professional websites support SSL.
3. No Social Media
Social media has become a very valuable tool for nearly every business, regardless of size or industry. Even if you don’t regularly post, it can be a great way to interact with customers and advertise your business. The majority of businesses have social media in one form or another, and it’s become one of the most effective ways for modern day businesses to advertise their products and stay relevant in the minds of their customers. If your website is missing links to your social media, it may be a sign that your site is in need of a major update. Adding social media to your site is another way to modernize your website and better connect with your customer base.
4. Adobe Flash
However, 2007 saw the creation of HTML5 which could support videos and animation without Flash. With the introduction of HTML5, Flash was no longer needed and began to fall out of use. Flash is used on very few websites nowadays. If your website still requires visitors to have Flash installed, it’s not only a sign of being outdated, but you are also likely turning away customers who do not want to go through the hassle of downloading and installing Flash. This highlights the importance of ensuring that your website’s software is as up-to-date as possible.
5. Not Mobile Friendly
Famously introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007, mobile phones have taken the world by storm. According to Statista, “mobile accounts for approximately half of web traffic worldwide.” However, there are still many companies that have not made the effort to modify their websites to be mobile-friendly. In light of how many people use mobile phones to surf the internet, it’s essential to make your website look good on all screen sizes, especially mobile.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed five ways you can tell a website is in need of an update: the way it looks, the absence of SSL, no social media links, reliance on Flash, and web design that’s not mobile friendly. Any business that hopes to have an effective website needs to ensure that these five mistakes are corrected. At Blueprint Web Design, we design quality websites that rely on contemporary design principles and technology. If you need help updating your website, feel free to reach out at (239) 776-9180 or info@blueprintwebdesign.com.
