Usually, it takes one of two different situations to drag you out to an auto dealership to look at new cars: either you have been driving something that has unexpectedly broken down, or seeing what's available on the new model years has made you think that going with something newer might be worth the expense.

Believe it or not, the same thing can happen with business websites. There are times when the owner or management team of a company decides to look at layouts because what they currently have is visually or functionally outdated. In other situations, however, it's not a matter of anything being particularly “wrong” with the website, except that it isn't as effective a marketing tool as it could be.

Either way, as with shiny new cars on the dealer's lot, seeing what's available for sale can be an eye-opening experience. In fact, if you haven't had your business website designed or upgraded in a while, you may be amazed at just what the right creative team can do for you.

Here are seven features that you could add to your business website simply by upgrading to a newer "model year”:

1. An SEO plan with more horsepower. The higher you rank in the major search engines for your most important keywords, the easier it is to gain leads and/or direct sales over the Internet. While off-site elements have a key role in impacting your rank, the structure, organization, content, and load times for your website are also important factors. For that reason, a good SEO plan can often help make a new business website worth the cost all by itself.

2. More comfortable landing pages. Studies have shown time and time again that, once a visitor finds your website, you literally have seconds to convince him to stay. Better design and copywriting on your landing pages can help you convert a higher percentage of searchers into clients/buyers.

3. Social media integration for better customer handling. Connecting with your customers via social media sites is a little bit like having them meet you for coffee—less formal, and great for your relationship. If your site doesn't have links to your social profiles, then you aren't taking advantage of some of your best opportunities.

4. Online videos that allow for better online marketing mileage. What's great about online videos? They let you control your message and its timing while making it more memorable. Plus, there's potential for your colleagues, clients, and friends to spread them around for you.

5. Mobile compatibility for all kinds of information-superhighway vehicles. It isn't just that mobile computing is growing; tens of millions of people are already accessing the internet using smart phones daily—including most executives and key decision-makers. If your site doesn't load quickly and correctly for mobile users, it could cost you business in 2012.

6. A CMS for higher efficiency. Tired of calling your business web design team every time you need to make a simple change to your pages? A content management system (CMS) puts control into your hands. By allowing you to make edits and additions in-house, instantly, it will extend the life of your business website while reducing its costs. Further, a good CMS not only gives you the capability to update your website in real time, but makes the task easy and keeps your website fresh.

7. That new website smell. In some cases, the best reason to redesign your business website is simply because your old one doesn't look as great as it used to. If you need a fresh look and layout, then why wait any longer? While your business website might not show wear and tear the same way a car does, that doesn't mean you shouldn't update it periodically to take advantage of the latest features. Want to “walk the lot” to see what's new? Just give us a call to see how the right design and programming could keep you in a smoother ride towards profitability in 2012.