How to Tell If Your Website Needs an Upgrade This Year

If you’re running a company, your website isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s an essential asset that should be working around the clock to bring in new business, support your sales team, and reinforce your brand’s credibility.

The problem? Many business websites are outdated and fail to perform at the level needed in 2025. But how can you tell if your website is holding your company back? If you’re a marketing director, executive, or decision-maker, these are the key signs to look for.

1) Your Website Looks and Feels Outdated

First impressions matter, and if your website looks like it was built five or more years ago, your prospects may assume your business is behind the times. Design trends evolve quickly, and what was modern and functional in 2018 may now seem stale and clunky.

Signs your design is outdated:

  • Your site isn’t mobile-friendly or doesn’t look good on all devices
  • It uses outdated fonts, color schemes, or stock imagery
  • The layout feels cluttered, or there’s too much text with little visual appeal
  • Competitors have sleeker, more engaging websites

If your website doesn’t reflect the quality and innovation of your business, it’s time to rethink your online presence.

2) It’s Not Generating Leads or Conversions

A high-performing website should actively contribute to your business’s bottom line. If your site isn’t producing quality leads or driving sales, there’s a serious problem.

Indicators your website isn’t converting well:

  • High bounce rates (people leave quickly without engaging)
  • Low form submissions or contact requests
  • Few or no sales coming directly from the website
  • Your sales team isn’t getting inbound inquiries from your site

The best websites are built with clear conversion paths—whether it’s through strategically placed calls to action, intuitive navigation, or optimized landing pages. If your site isn’t designed for conversions, an upgrade is overdue.

3) Your Website Is Slow

Speed is everything in today’s digital world. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, you’re losing visitors (and potential revenue). Google also factors page speed into search rankings, so a slow site can hurt both user experience and SEO performance.

Check your speed:

  • Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to analyze your site’s loading time
  • Test your site on mobile and desktop—many sites load much slower on mobile
  • If pages take more than three seconds to load, visitors are likely bouncing

A slow website isn’t just frustrating for users; it also signals outdated technology and infrastructure. Investing in a speed-optimized redesign can help you retain more visitors and improve conversions.

4) It’s Not Search Engine Optimized (SEO-Friendly)

Your website needs to be visible in search results to attract organic traffic. If your rankings have declined or competitors are outranking you, your website may not be properly optimized for SEO.

SEO warning signs:

  • Your website isn’t ranking for important industry keywords
  • Organic traffic has dropped over time
  • You don’t have structured metadata (title tags, descriptions, headers)
  • The site lacks fresh, high-quality content (such as blogs, case studies, or landing pages)

A modern website should be built with SEO best practices in mind, ensuring search engines can crawl and rank your pages effectively. If your site isn’t pulling in organic traffic, it may need a structural or content overhaul.

5) It’s Not Mobile-Optimized

More than 60% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website isn’t fully optimized for mobile users, you’re likely losing a large portion of potential customers.

How to tell if your site isn’t mobile-friendly:

  • Text and images don’t scale properly on different screen sizes
  • Buttons and links are hard to click on mobile
  • The mobile experience is clunky, slow, or difficult to navigate
  • Your Google Mobile-Friendly Test results show errors

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search rankings, so an outdated, non-responsive site can cost you traffic and leads.

6) You’re Embarrassed to Share Your Website

If you (or your sales team) hesitate to send prospects to your website because it doesn’t properly represent your business, that’s a major red flag.

Ask yourself:

  • Does my website accurately reflect the level of professionalism and quality we offer?
  • Would I be proud to show it to a high-value prospect?
  • Are competitors’ websites making ours look second-rate?

If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” your website is actively hurting your brand and needs an upgrade.

7) It Doesn’t Integrate with Your Business Systems

A website should work seamlessly with your internal processes, including CRM, marketing automation, and e-commerce systems. If you’re manually tracking leads, processing payments offline, or struggling with disconnected platforms, your website is due for an upgrade.

Integration issues to look for:

  • Leads don’t automatically sync with your CRM (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce)
  • Your e-commerce system is outdated or clunky
  • There’s no email marketing integration (e.g., Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign)
  • Your customer portal or account management system is outdated

A modern website should streamline workflows and improve efficiency, not create bottlenecks.

8) Your Security Is Outdated

Cybersecurity threats are increasing, and if your site isn’t secure, you’re putting your business and customers at risk.

Security concerns that require immediate action:

  • Your site doesn’t use HTTPS (secure SSL encryption)
  • Your CMS and plugins aren’t updated regularly
  • You don’t have proper backups or security monitoring in place
  • You’ve experienced a data breach or hacking attempt

An outdated website isn’t just a liability—it can lead to legal and financial consequences if customer data is compromised.

9) Your Branding Has Evolved, But Your Website Hasn’t

Businesses grow and evolve, and if your website still reflects an outdated version of your brand, it can create confusion for customers.

Signs your branding and website are misaligned:

  • Your messaging, logo, or visuals have changed, but the site hasn’t been updated
  • Your target audience has shifted, but the content still speaks to past customers
  • Your website doesn’t reflect the professionalism and scale of your business today

Your website should evolve alongside your business to ensure it always represents your brand at its best.

10) You’re Relying on a DIY or Template-Based Site

For businesses generating over $1 million annually, a templated, DIY website likely isn’t cutting it anymore. As your company grows, you need a custom solution that supports your unique needs.

Why templates and DIY sites fail established businesses:

  • They often lack scalability and advanced functionality
  • They don’t offer a unique, branded experience
  • They tend to have slower load times and weaker security

A professionally designed, custom-built website gives you the flexibility, performance, and credibility needed to compete at a higher level.

Time to Upgrade? What’s Next

If any of the above signs apply to your website, it’s time to start planning an upgrade. A modern website is more than just an online brochure—it’s a powerful tool for lead generation, sales, and business growth.

What to Consider for Your Website Redesign:

  • Custom Design: Reflect your brand’s authority and professionalism
  • SEO Optimization: Ensure long-term visibility in search engines
  • Mobile Performance: A seamless experience on all devices
  • Speed & Security: A fast, secure site that protects your data
  • Integration: Connect with your CRM, marketing tools, and sales processes

A website upgrade is an investment that pays off in increased leads, better conversions, and a stronger online presence. If your website is underperforming, don’t wait—2025 is the year to make a change. Contact us today to discuss how we can create a high-performance website tailored to your business needs.

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