Throughout its lifetime, every website needs a little tweaking and updating here and there. If you own a business with a web presence, at some point, that site will need to be redesigned. It could be due to the business changing, or it could be just for aesthetic purposes. Whatever the reasoning behind your change, here’s a few things to consider when thinking about a redesign.
1. Why are you Redesigning? Sounds obvious, but seriously–think about what you hope to accomplish with the site redesign. Improve site functions? More aesthetically pleasing? Better sales conversions? New, more focused content? Know exactly what you want, and let that goal guide you through your redesign.
2. What Type of Redesign Do You Need? Now that you know why you want to redesign your site, you need to figure out how far down the rabbit hole you need to go. It could be a slight change in visuals and some updated content, or you might need to completely change your underlying code base. Depending on your budget, a huge revamping may be out of the picture. From the get-go, you should figure out what your priorities are from the beginning, and budget those first.
3. What Does and Doesn’t Work Currently? No matter what type of redesign you need, there will be some elements of your site that work very well, and others that don’t work at all. Now is the time to go through your site and identify these elements. Break your site down into its key components and then compare those with the goals you decided on in step one and the overall vision of your website. Don’t keep any “dead weight” just because it’s familiar. If something doesn’t jive with the new direction and plan you’ve set, it’s out.
4. How is Your Site Being Used? Your site is about reaching publics, right!? So study your traffic statistics and site analytics for information on things such as entry and exit pages, sales conversions, and search engine keywords. This will help you to understand how visitors find your site and what they do once they get there. With the results of this information, make strategic changes in your new site redesign.
5. Has Your Brand or Company Image Changed? Make sure you keep your logos updated and think about a color-overhaul if the corporate image or philosophy has shifted. Your website is often the first impression people get of your business, so it should grow and mature right along with the rest of your brand identity.
6. When and How Should You Launch Your Redesign? You’ve probably heard that timing is everything. Well when/how you launch your redesign can have a big impact on your traffic and in generating buzz about your new site. Maybe you want to make improvements and roll them out slowly, unannounced. Or maybe, a big relaunch around a holiday or the start of a big promotion is what you need because will generate more traffic. Think about what is best for your business and take that approach.
7. How Do I Make the Transition Smoothly? Some people are a little intimidated by change. If you have a site that has a lot of loyal traffic, a drastic change might be off-putting to some. Furthermore, you don’t want this shift to damage search engine rankings and suddenly destroy any and all backlinks you’ve gathered over the years.
All in all, when redesigning your website, make sure you have a clear goal in mind from beginning to end. It will help the project go much more smoothly, and help the transition from the old site to the new one seem completely organic. If you’re timid about the website updates, just remember, “Without change you will have no evolution. Without evolution, your company could become extinct.” Be bold and make sure you website follows your company’s growth!