As websites get older they can start to encounter problems. This could start to negatively affect the user experience, which could in turn lead to a higher bounce rate and lower rankings. Below are just some of the common types of wear and tear that can affect old websites, and what you can do to fix them.

Slow load times

Slow loading pages can be caused by all kinds of factors. A common cause of slow load times is using a cheap old hosting server. The hosting server may be poorly maintained or may be hosting too many websites. Using a faster hosting solution such as WooCommerce hosting, you can reduce loading times. This will cost you a little more, but it is worth it as you’ll retain more visitors.

Broken links

Over time certain links may stop working. External web pages that you’ve linked to may no longer exist. In other cases, call-to-action buttons may simply encounter bugs and stop working. It’s important that you get rid of all broken links as this can affect your user experience and search engine rankings. This post at GeekFlare lists a few tools you can use to find broken links.

Irrelevant content

Does your website contain blog posts that no longer have relevant information? Are you still advertising deals or events that have already passed? Such content may question visitors to wonder whether your site is still relative or even active. Go through your site and update any old content that is no longer accurate or useful.

Dated design

Dated web design features can make your business look old-fashioned. This could include using clunky graphics, old fonts, cluttered navigation bars and overused stock images. Compare how your site looks to other modern sites and decide whether it’s time to redesign your website. It’s worth hiring a web designer to make sure that you embrace modern website design trends.

Prehistoric plug-ins

Make sure that there are no old plug-ins still being used on your website. Some of these may be slowing down your site or may even expose your site to viruses if they’re no longer supported. Make use of new plug-ins or hire a programmer to code your own features from scratch.

Poor security

Is your site as secure as it should be? Old sites can often be vulnerable to modern cyberattack methods if they have not been well maintained. Redesigning your website every few years can be vital, not just for improving the look but improving the security. Moving to a new web host can also make a difference.

Mobile-unfriendly

How does your website display on a mobile screen? If the text is too small or graphics aren’t formatting correctly, it could be time to address this. Most internet users are now using the web on a smartphone - you could be scaring off a lot of visitors just by not having a mobile-friendly site.