Your website is the face of your business. It’s one of the first places potential customers go to learn about your company and what you have to offer. That’s why it’s so important to keep your website up-to-date and looking its best.
If your website is starting to feel a little out-of-date, it might be time for a transformation. Not sure if your website is due for a makeover? Here are six signs it’s time for a change…
6 Signs You Need a Website Transformation
1. Your website is no longer mobile-friendly.
Mobile devices now account for almost half of all website traffic, and Google is basing its rankings on the mobile version of a website rather than the desktop version. This means it is essential to provide a great mobile experience for your customers on your website.
2. Your website looks outdated.
Google’s John Mueller recently suggested that poor design could hurt a website’s search rankings, which means that sometimes looks do matter. While it’s important that your website function seamlessly, it also needs to look fresh and modern, not like it’s stuck in a bygone digital era. Here are few design trends that are very outdated:
Heavy drop shadows
Using bevels
Excessive use of gradients
Multiple different fonts
Different colors in different places
Buttons as images
Scrolling text
Clip art
We’ve come a long way in the world of Internet aesthetics. If your website has more than one of these outdated trends, it’s definitely time for a facelift.
3. Your website isn’t achieving the results you’d hoped for.
If your website is still effective but starting to look outdated, there may not be an immediate need to change it. But if you’ve seen a significant decrease in traffic, leads, and conversions, your visitors are obviously not happy with what they’re seeing, so you may want to consider an upgrade.
4. Your competitors have much newer websites.
You should do what’s right for you, but if your competitors have better websites, you’ll be at a disadvantage. If your website is lagging behind the competition, consider an update.
5. Your website has not optimized the user experience.
The key to a successful website is making sure your users are happy. If your site is difficult to use or doesn’t have interesting, valuable content, your users will go elsewhere. Sometimes small changes can improve the experience for visitors on an existing site, but often the best solution is to create a new website with user experience in mind. For more information on UI/UX tips and trends, check out our insights!
6. Your website still uses flash.
Flash-based websites tend to have long loading times, which can be frustrating for visitors and can also negatively impact your website’s ranking in search engines. The shift away from using flash began in 2010 when Apple stopped supporting flash on their mobile devices. If you’re still using flash, it suggests you haven’t made any significant effort to improve your website in nearly 10 years.
If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to consider a website transformation. If you’ve built your new website, but aren’t quite ready to launch, read our blog about website testing checklists to keep your business on the right track. If you haven’t updated your online presence and you’re looking for a team to help you achieve your goals, J. Arthur & Co. has what you need. Connect with usand we can collaborate with you on a plan to transform your website. Remember, your website is the face of your business, so make sure it’s putting your best foot forward.
Embracing Usability: How to Win with Simplicity
“Usability is about people and how they understand and use things, not about technology… As a user, I should never have to devote a millisecond of thought to whether things are clickable – or not.” – Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think
For the most part, the easy-to-use products are the most successful. Consider the major differences between the Apple iPhone and Samsung’s smartphones. High-end Samsung devices often have cutting edge smartphone technology powering their device, but Apple leaned heavily into usability and it has paid off significantly. Though usability covers a wide range of industries, in this blog, we will narrow our focus to the usability of company websites. First, we’ll cover the key components of usability. Next, we’ll underline why usability is important. Lastly, we’ll highlight how UI/UX savvy web design helped a client of ours upgrade and modernize their website. Let’s dive in…
Usability can be broken down into 7 key components
Learnability – From the moment the user lands on the website, how easy is it for them to accomplish basic tasks?
Utility – Does the website design perform the functions that user needs?
Efficiency – How quickly can the user perform the intended task?
Memorability – Should the user stop using the design for a significant amount of time, how easily can they reestablish proficiency with the design?
Errors – Does the user make errors while using the design/product. If so, how many errors do they make? Are they easy to fix?
Satisfaction – How pleasant is it to use the design?
Accessibility– The site’s content needs to be obtainable and functional to people with disabilities. Accessibility is actually a prerequisite to usability. If a person can not access a web page he certainly can not use it.
Why Usability Matters
Usability is absolutely necessary to the success of your design, product, or website. Let’s consider the usability of a website for example. If the website is cluttered and difficult to navigate, users will leave, increasing your bounce out rate. If your font choices and text blocks aren’t optimized for readability, the user will quickly become frustrated and exit your page. Poor grammar, spelling errors, and slow load times? Say goodbye to your engagement. There are millions of websites, why would a user spend time on yours if it’s not optimized?
The following statistics illustrate how vital usability and user experience (UX) are to the success of your business:
Nielsen Norman Group conducted a survey of design projects and found that, after redesigning for usability, the average improvement in key performance indicators was 83% The KPIs they metrics they observed included: conversion rates, traffic numbers, user performance, and target feature usage.
85% of adults think that a company’s mobile website should be as good or better than their desktop website.
88% of users are less likely to return to a website after a bad user experience.
40% of people navigate away from a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
48% of people cited a website’s design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of the business.
70% of people look at lists with bullet points. 55% look at lists without bullet points.
We are committed to delivering exceptional marketing and web services to companies.
Let’s take a look at how J Arthur & Co have enhanced usability for its business partners…
Consider the first image of Wyndham Newport Hotel’s home page. Then take a look at the updated version. A few things should stand out:
In the before photo, “Book” is a small icon that takes you to a completely separate page where the booking process begins. In the after photo, the user is immediately able to define the parameters of their search by selecting the check in and check out dates, and the number of guests. The “after” layout appeals to utility and efficiency.
Think about tip number 3 above: “Remove time consuming forms to improve cart abandonment.” By allowing the user to select the dates and the guest numbers on the first page, the most vital information to Wyndham has already been recorded, making the rest of the booking process much more streamlined.
The before photo has no “contact us” option on the homepage, meaning users would have to click multiple times before finding out how to connect with Wyndham. The after photo has an easily accessible “contact us” option visible in the upper right corner.
By making many smart adjustments like these we were able to completely transform the usability of Wyndham Newport Hotel’s website. Now, instead of clutter and disorganization, the user experiences the efficiency of a clean design that guides them exactly where they need to be as soon as they land on the page. Click here to check out their current website, the difference is night and day. A website with excellent usability can take your business to the next level! Make sure you partner with a web design agency that understands usability, UI, and UX’s role in driving conversions for your business and meeting your goals.
Chris has led brand campaigns across creative and technical landscapes for British Telecommunications & Toni & Guy.
He’s helped build creative agencies from the ground up with to his universal design acumen and ability to manage creative talent!
At J. Arthur & Co, he is a key pillar to our team due to his innate ability to connect brand vision with user interface/experience concepts, finished with stellar execution.
When things need to happen behind the scenes — He’s our guy.
Having started his career in finance, Tom has been working in Ecom going on 5 years now.
Although he changed industries, he really values his time in finance picking up a lot of valuable and transferable skills.
Tom’s passion is the customers and the relationships he’s built with them over the years.
He’s been extremely effective for us in balancing many tasks, strategic planning, logistics management and always coming up with ways to thrill customers.
Having studied Music Production & Music Business at Point Blank Music School in London, when he’s not working hard, Tom runs a small record label with a group friends.
“Be it expediting orders, overseeing our ambassadors program, or assisting with marketing needs, I’m a jack of all trades (master of none).
My ethos has always been to keep things fun & light hearted, but professional at the heart of it.
You’ll even sometimes catch me in the gym…
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
What’s up guys, I’m Jeff and I started this shop in 2014 out of my bedroom.
I had moved into an apt with a buddy, lived on $200/mo rent and got going.
You had to walk through my room to get to the kitchen and that room became sort of a hybrid br/office.
It took me a couple failed ideas before gaining traction with J. Arthur and for a period of almost two years I slept on a couch to get the company off the ground.
First in that room and then the back of our first (real) office. Both times a couch.
I love delivering results for clients, working with our team here and growing this co (obviously), which now has a humble but global base of both team and customers.
We have just barely started and I know the sky is the limit.
Admittedly I don’t have that many hobbies, But I enjoy all types of physical training and you can usually catch me doing things like: expounding on the pitfalls of fractional reserve banking, discussing the standards of American liberty, or eating unreasonable quantities of food.
I also like to read.
Love spending time with family.
Thanks to Lensa for tightening up my hairline in exchange for my facial dna in some Orwellian database 🙂
Jo has worked in the advertising and design industry since 2015 and has over 8 years of experience with visual communication and design.
Product is her passion with a deep focus in sportswear design and creative direction.
Her key expertise combines many years in both retail and manufacturing with a proactive vision of creating new products and driving them successfully to market.
“I believe in keeping things simple, having honest intentions, and making things fun. Working in an ego-less manner, I bring my whole self to every project, always aiming to exceed expectations and create work that is well thought through and commercially compelling.”
And exceeding expectations she does. We’re very lucky to have Jo’s rare combination of marketing creative, outstanding product design, ambitious strategy and true dedication to her craft.
In Joanna’s free time her hobbies include yoga & aerial fitness, functional training at the gym and occasionally snowboarding.
You can catch much more of her branding magic at @physiqapparel 💪
Aish graduated with a bachelor of engineering in computer science, freelancing for several years before joining J. Arthur as a Junior Web Developer. She’s now been with the company for 3 years.
Aish has the intangible qualities that make a fantastic developer: the desire for continual learning, a “whatever it takes” mentality, and an intense focus on the (ever-changing) task at hand.
She meets every obstacle with optimism and has grown to become a core member of our team who we’re all grateful to work alongside everyday.
In her off time she likes to get outside and go for a much needed walk. She also loves reading books + daily news to learn something new every day. And of course, watching movies 🍿
Shortly after getting a marketing degree from Clemson University, Denton amassed a large following on Twitter after creating several viral, funny tweets that touched on everything from pop culture to music and sports 📲
Realizing he had a knack for creative writing and social media, he decided to continue developing his talents even further.
As a content manager at J. Arthur, he’s has been able to show off his creativity and bring unique ideas to the table.
He’s currently based in Raleigh, NC with his fiancé and their two cats (Nova & Bean).
In his free time you’ll find him playing tennis, listening to music, or knee deep in a good book.
We appreciate his creative adaptability, consistency & steadfast commitment to deliver success on every account.
Dhan is a multidisciplinary solution architect who helps people translate ideas from words and visuals into prototypes and applications, using code that helps organizations address business challenges.
He motivates people to think positively through the power of technology by helping solve a large number of critical situations quickly.
Having been involved in both collaborative and independently-driven roles, he is a forward-thinking leader with refined analytical and critical thinking skills, with deep experience in translating business priorities to IT roadmaps and fine-tuned IT Operating models.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling playing (and building) video games, watching movies and listening to music.
Dhan is responsible for making our critical IT and technology decisions and has been with J. Arthur for 5 years and we greatly value his leadership.
He’s a grandmaster in complex problem solving, rapid analysis and delivery, high level infrastructure planning, and full stack engineering.
His character is proven time and again by always working in our clients best interests and never failing to deliver a solution to even the most brain busting and urgent issues, with a coolness and poise to be admired 🙌
He studied Computer Science in Brazil before coming to the States four years ago and now works out of our Newport office.
If you’re a J. Arthur client you’ve probably been in contact before, as he works directly with the team and clients to bring projects to completion.
But if you’re within his close friends, you probably know him for playing (very loud) guitar!
Paulo is responsible for tracking an often high paced workflow between project management, design, development and vendors to ensure successful delivery to customers.
We admire his patience, agile ability to learn new skills, and laser focused commitment to problem solving 👏
Based in Chicago, she loves work from home days alongside her furry co-workers. Ralphie likes his personal space, but Murray prefers to sit on mom’s keyboard to help with important emails – and he never misses a team meeting.
What keeps her motivated throughout the day? A combination of matcha lattes, espresso, and Liquid IV (often consuming all of them at the same time).
Outside of work, Hannah likes to unwind with yoga, check out local coffee shops, and spend time outside in the sunshine.
We value her outstanding communication, marketing savvy, ability to bring positivity to every situation and too many other traits to list 🙌
