Old website warning signs customers notice first
Customers decide a website is outdated within seconds, and they judge by small things: a "Not secure" warning next to your address, a copyright year from years ago, a page that will not fit their phone, photos with old cars and old hairstyles, a link that leads nowhere. None of these mean your business is out of date, but customers read them that way, and some will wonder whether you are still open. Here are the signs in the order people usually spot them, what each one says to a customer, and what fixing it takes.
1. "Not secure" next to your address
Where they see it: before your page even appears, in the address bar of their browser.
What it says to them: "This site might not be safe." Some browsers show a full warning page before letting the visitor continue, and many people simply go back.
What causes it: the site has no SSL certificate, the small piece of setup that makes the address start with https and shows a padlock. Older sites, and sites whose hosting plan lapsed partly, often lack it.
The fix: most hosts and builders now include certificates at no extra cost; it may just need switching on in your hosting control panel. If your host charges for it or cannot set it up, that is a sign the hosting is as old as the site. HTTPS and the padlock: why it matters for your site explains the details.
2. A page that does not fit their phone
Where they see it: the moment the page loads. The text is tiny, they have to pinch, or the page slides sideways.
What it says to them: "This business hasn't touched its website in years." On a phone, it also means they cannot easily find what they came for.
What causes it: a layout designed for computer screens before phones were common.
The fix: this one cannot be patched in a few minutes. The layout has to be rebuilt to adjust to small screens. Why your old website looks bad on phones goes into why and what your options are.
3. An old year in the footer
Where they see it: at the bottom of the page, in the small "© 2017 Smith Electric" line.
What it says to them: "Is this business still around?" Careful customers scroll down to check it, and it is the easiest sign on this list to fix.
The fix: change the year, or better, have the site update it automatically each January. While you are in the footer, check the phone number, address and hours too. Website copyright year in the footer: does it matter? covers what the line actually means.
4. Photos that show their age
Where they see it: the first big picture on the home page.
What it says to them: an old van, a storefront before you renovated, staff who left years ago, or that slightly faded look of early digital cameras all tell a customer the site predates your current business. Stock photos of smiling models in headsets say "this could be anyone".
The fix: take new photos of your work, your team and your premises. A recent phone with good daylight is plenty. Replace the home page photo first, then the service pages.
5. Facts that are no longer true
Where they see it: usually after they have acted on it: they drove over during your listed hours and you were closed, or called a number that no longer works, or asked for a service you stopped offering.
What it says to them: "They don't keep their information up to date," and sometimes "they wasted my time". This is the sign that costs the most goodwill.
The fix: go through every page and check hours, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, prices, services, staff names and service areas. Compare them with your Google Business Profile so the two match.
6. Links that lead nowhere
Where they see it: when they tap a menu item or a link and get an error page, or the link opens a site that no longer exists.
What it says to them: "Nobody is minding this." Broken links to a dead Facebook page or a booking system you stopped using are common on older sites.
The fix: click every link in your menu, footer and page text. Note the broken ones and either update or remove them. Broken links on your website and how to find them has a way to check larger sites.
7. Announcements that never came down
Where they see it: a banner about holiday hours from three Christmases ago, a "grand opening" notice, a COVID-era message about curbside pickup, an offer that expired.
What it says to them: that the site was set up and left. Customers may also wonder whether those old restrictions still apply.
The fix: remove them, and next time put an end date in your calendar the day you post a notice.
8. A contact form that never replies
Where they see it: they do not see anything, which is the problem. They send a message, nothing comes back, and they call your competitor.
What it says to them: "They don't answer." They will not know the form was broken.
The fix: send yourself a test message through your form today and check it arrives. Then repeat every few months. If the form sends to an old employee's email or an address you no longer check, change it.
9. Things that do not load at all
Where they see it: a blank box where a video, map or slideshow should be, or a message that a plugin is missing.
What it says to them: the site is broken.
What causes it: old technologies like Flash, which no modern browser runs, or embedded tools from companies that have shut down or changed their links.
The fix: remove the dead element or replace it with a modern version, such as a current Google Maps embed or a video link.
Are these worth fixing one by one?
Signs 3, 5, 6 and 7 are small fixes you can often do in an afternoon if you can log in to your site. Signs 1 and 9 depend on your hosting. Sign 2, the phone problem, usually means a rebuild. If you count four or more of these on your own site, patching each one will take longer and cost more than starting with a modern layout, because they usually share one cause: a site that was built and then left alone.
Your check this afternoon
- Look for a padlock next to your address.
- Open the site on your phone without zooming.
- Check the footer year.
- Look at the home page photo with a stranger's eyes.
- Verify hours, phone, address and services on every page.
- Tap every link in the menu and footer.
- Remove old announcements.
- Send a test message through the form.
If the list turns up more than a handful of problems, you can see your site rebuilt first with your current information in a modern, secure layout, and compare it with the old one before deciding.