5 signs it's time to hire a professional eCommerce website design company

Is your online store not hitting its sales targets? You're not alone. Many businesses struggle with the complexities of digital selling. In this blog, we'll dive into the top 5 signs that signal it’s time for an upgrade. Stay tuned to discover how professional design can elevate your brand and boost conversions.

1. Poor sales performance

If you've noticed that your sales chart looks gloomy these past few months, it may not be due to market fluctuations. Here are two signs under this category that indicate a deeper issue:

Declining sales over time

It's natural for businesses to experience ups and downs. However, if you see a consistent downward trend in your sales, it's time to take a closer look at your website. A decline over several months or a fiscal quarter can be alarming and points towards underlying issues like poor user experience or ineffective sales funnel on your website.

Low conversion rates compared to industry averages

Conversion rates tell you a lot about your website's effectiveness. If you need to catch up to the industry average, it might suggest that your site doesn't engage or convert visitors as well as your competitors' sites. This issue often ties back to outdated designs or poor user interfaces that fail to inspire customer confidence or encourage purchases.

2. Outdated website design

Staying current with design trends isn't just about aesthetics but functionality and user expectations. Here's how to tell if your design might be stuck in the past:

The website looks old or not mobile-friendly

In today's tech-savvy world, a non-responsive website (one that doesn't adjust smoothly to different screen sizes) can frustrate users and lead them to abandon your site. If your site looks like it belongs in the early 2000s, it's time to refresh.

Comparison with current industry trends

Take a moment to navigate some of your competitors' websites, especially those harnessing good traffic and sales. How does your website compare? If it feels outdated by comparison, this might cost you customers who prefer a more modern, seamless shopping experience.

3. Technical issues

Nothing sends customers running faster than a website that doesn’t function as expected. Here are a couple of technical red flags:

Frequent website downtimes or errors

If your site is often unavailable or displaying errors, it's not just annoying for users but also damaging to your brand’s reputation. Frequent downtimes can also affect your search engine rankings.

Difficulties in Integrating New Features

Technology evolves rapidly, and the inability to integrate new, valuable features can hinder your business growth. If adding a new payment gateway, a live chat feature, or any other functionality becomes a major hassle, it's a sign your current setup needs professional intervention.

4. Poor user experience

How people feel when they navigate your website can make or break their buying decision. Here are some common user experience pitfalls:

Feedback on complicated navigation or slow loading

If customer feedback mentions difficulty navigating your site or pages that take forever to load, take it seriously. These are critical issues that can deter potential purchases.

High Bounce Rates from Analytics

Analytics tools can show bounce rates, i.e., how many visitors leave your site after viewing just one page. High bounce rates usually indicate that visitors aren’t finding what they expect or are frustrated by the user experience.

5. Scaling challenges

As your business grows, your website should be able to grow with it. Here’s how you might recognise scaling issues:

Website struggles with increased traffic

A good problem like increased traffic should not bring your website down. If your site crashes or significantly slows down with higher traffic, it's a sign that it's not built to scale with your business.

Inability to Add New Products or Expand Market Reach

If you find it challenging to update your ecommerce platform with new products, or if expanding to new markets seems impossible with your current setup, these are severe bottlenecks to your business growth.

Conclusion

In today's fast-paced digital world, staying current with an efficient, scalable, and visually appealing e-commerce website is more than necessary—it's critical for your business success. If you recognise one or more of the signs listed above, consider hiring expert eCommerce agency services to help steer your digital storefront to success. Don't let your online store fall behind the competition — take action today to ensure your eCommerce website reflects the quality and professionalism of your brand.