5 Signs Your Business Needs a New Website

Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. And you never get a second chance at a first impression.

But here's the thing: most business owners don't think about their website until something breaks. By then, they've already lost countless potential customers who visited, got frustrated, and left.

So how do you know if your website is helping or hurting your business? Here are five clear signs it's time for a redesign.

1. Your Website Isn't Mobile-Friendly

Pull out your phone. Visit your website. Use it for 2 minutes.

How was that experience?

If you had to pinch and zoom, if buttons were hard to tap, if the text was too small to read — you have a problem.

The reality: Over 60% of web traffic in Nigeria comes from mobile devices. For some industries, it's over 80%. If your site doesn't work well on phones, you're losing the majority of your potential customers.

What mobile-friendly looks like:

• Text is readable without zooming
• Buttons are large enough to tap easily
• Navigation works with one thumb
• Images load quickly
• Forms are easy to fill out on mobile

If your website fails any of these, it's time for an upgrade.

2. It Takes Forever to Load

How long does your website take to load? If you're not sure, test it.

Go to PageSpeed Insights and enter your URL. It's free.

The benchmark: Your website should load in under 3 seconds. Ideally under 2.

Why this matters:

• 53% of mobile visitors leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load
• Every additional second of load time reduces conversions by up to 20%
• Google uses page speed as a ranking factor — slow sites rank lower

Common causes of slow websites:

• Images that aren't optimized
• Cheap or overloaded hosting
• Too many plugins or scripts
• Outdated code and frameworks

If your site is slow, visitors are leaving before they even see what you offer.

3. Your Website Looks Outdated

Web design trends change. A website that looked modern in 2018 looks dated today.

Signs your design is stuck in the past:

• Cluttered layouts with too much happening on every page
• Small fonts and poor typography
• Flash elements or heavy animations (Flash is actually dead)
• Stock photos that look obviously fake
• Inconsistent colors and fonts throughout the site
• No clear visual hierarchy — everything looks equally important

Why design matters:

People judge credibility based on design. Research shows users form an opinion about a website in 0.05 seconds — before they read a single word.

An outdated website signals an outdated business, even if that's not true. First impressions are visual.

Modern design principles:

• Clean, minimal layouts with plenty of white space
• Large, readable typography
• Consistent branding (colors, fonts, imagery)
• High-quality images (real photos when possible)
• Clear visual hierarchy guiding the eye
• Subtle animations that enhance, not distract

4. You Can't Update It Yourself

When was the last time you updated your website? If you have to call a developer every time you want to change a phone number or add a new service, something is wrong.

A good website should let you:

• Edit text and images without coding
• Add new pages or blog posts easily
• Update your contact information in minutes
• Add new products or services

The problem with dependency:

If you can't make simple updates yourself, two things happen:

1. Updates don't happen. You put it off because it's a hassle. Your website shows outdated information.
2. You pay more than you should. Simple text changes shouldn't cost N20,000 every time.

Modern websites are built on content management systems (CMS) that let non-technical people make updates. If yours doesn't, it's time for a rebuild.

5. It's Not Generating Leads or Sales

This is the big one. Your website has one job: help grow your business.

If you're getting traffic but no inquiries, no calls, no sales — your website isn't doing its job.

Common reasons websites don't convert:

• No clear call-to-action. What do you want visitors to do? Is it obvious?
• Too many choices. Confused visitors don't take action.
• No trust signals. Where are your testimonials, reviews, client logos?
• Poor contact options. Can people reach you easily? Is your phone number visible?
• Weak copy. Does your website actually explain why someone should choose you?

A website that converts has:

• A clear value proposition above the fold (what you do, who you help, why you're different)
• One primary call-to-action that's impossible to miss
• Social proof (testimonials, reviews, case studies, client logos)
• Multiple easy ways to contact you
• Content that speaks to visitor needs, not just lists your features

The Cost of Waiting

Here's what happens every day your website underperforms:

• Potential customers visit, get frustrated, and leave
• They go to competitors with better websites
• You lose money you'll never know about

The website you "can't afford to fix" is already costing you more than a new one would.

How to Know for Sure

Not sure if your website needs work? Answer these questions:

1. Would you be proud to show your website to your biggest potential client?
2. Does it work flawlessly on your phone?
3. Does it load in under 3 seconds?
4. Can you update it yourself without calling a developer?
5. Is it generating leads or sales consistently?

If you answered "no" to any of these, you know what to do.

The Bottom Line

Your website is either an asset or a liability. It's either working for your business 24/7 or actively turning customers away.

The good news: a website redesign doesn't have to be painful or expensive. With the right approach, you can have a modern, fast, mobile-friendly website that actually generates business — often within a few weeks.

The question isn't whether you can afford a new website. It's whether you can afford to keep the old one.