If like many businesses, your considering a redesign of your website, you will probably be keen to get started. It’s exciting to think about your shiny new website, but you should never rush straight into a redesign.
A recent study from Blog Red showed that two out of three people prefer to browse a beautifully designed website while Digital Apeel noted that 75% of people form their opinion of a website based on its aesthetics.
So before you get started with your website redesign, you need to make sure that you get the essentials and pain points organized and in order to get your desired results.
If you gather the required data and information according to the list below, your website redesign project will be a success.
What do we mean by Website redesign?
The term is fairly self-explanatory. A website redesign is a process of renovating your current site, but this is likely to differ based on the needs. Some may need an aesthetic update, others may need a complete restructure from content to SEO.
Are there benefits to redesigning my site?
A redesign of your current site is an investment in the future of your business and will help in the following ways.
Your opportunity to get things right A redesigned and revamped site will offer you a chance to recreate yourself, allowing you to focus on what will now help the business succeed.
Improving your conversion rate Static or decreasing conversion rates, old and outdated process or confusing navigation; a new website design can solve all the issues.
Enhancing your brand image If the ‘face’ of your brand and your website is not matching, potential customers will get confused. A site redesign can solve this.
Growth in customer trust Customers see high-quality designs as being more trustworthy and are most likely to fill your contact form or engage with the brand of a well designed, easy to navigate site.
Moving up in search rankings When common SEO mistakes are avoided during the redesign of your website, over time you will see a move up in the search rankings.
Take control over your content During your site redesign, if you switch to a content management system like WordPress, you can easily update and manage your own content
Team morale boost A redesigned website will not only improve the way your potential customers see you but also improve the way your employees see your company
How do I know if I should redesign my website?
You must definitely redesign your website if you are experiencing the following.
Design is outdated
Does not bring business as expected
High bounce rate or in other words people leave quickly
Customers cannot find what they need; everything’s there but difficult to get
Content is not meaningful, informative or optimized for SEO
Website has too many bad or broken links
Does not have a good search engine ranking for targeted keywords
Competitors website is more updated in terms of design, content and responsiveness
What Are the Things to Consider Before Redesigning your Website?
If it is finally time to redesign your site, here are some areas you should consider before getting started.
1. Redesign or revamp?
A revamp is a complete overhaul while redesign doesn’t actually impact the functionality of your site as much. While a revamp effectively restructures, redesigns, and recreates the site, a redesign is a good option if your website is already functioning well but needs changes in the look and feel only. In order to make this decision you would have to first know what you are looking for.
2. Take a review of yoru website
What are the things you love?
Make a list of them
Can they stay on the new website?
Are they generating value for your business?
Can you live without them?
What are the things you hate?
Make a list of them
Can they be removed without affecting business?
Can they be redesigned to something better?
Do they impede functionality?
Experts in web design can help you understand whether the features just need to be tweaked or whether the whole website needs to be dismantled.
3. Know what your competition is up to.
What do you love about their website?
Make a list
Are these things essential for you as well?
Can they be incorporated into your website as is?
Will they help your business?
What do you hate about their website?
You may hate these features, but they may be essential for your business
4. Know your audience.
Whether it’s a redesign or revamp, it is most important that you know who you are targeting. What works for the smartphone generation may not work for those who are 50+, however they may be more likely to read what you write.
The smartphone audience are more likely to look, like and buy while others may need more guidance and information.
Perhaps you need to know how they will find you. The optimisation strategies of your website should be in-line with those requirements.
5. What functionality will help your business?
Once your potential customers find you, they’ll be in need of information.
Your site needs to give them that information fast. How easy is it to navigate your site to get this information? The easier it is, the faster it will generate leads, the more business you can get. Functionality and design have to go hand in hand.
6. Have you got a content marketing plan?
It’s thought that over 60% of site visitors to a company feel positive towards them if they see fresh and unique content that reflects the company’s values.
You will need to think about what type of content you want, staying updated and fresh – blogs, marketing videos, how-to documents and social media.
There are many possibilities that can be applied to create an effective marketing plan, but once your content marketing plan is clear, you can decide what changes are needed on your site to implement the plan effectively.
7. Consider what other marketing you can do.
It’s good to review your current marketing efforts and identify what more you may need to do. Maybe you want to add a quarterly newsletter to your email marketing campaign. If so, you will want to understand what needs to be changed on your site to get more email subscribers.
Aligning your website goals to your marketing goals and vice versa will ensure that your new site and strategies complement each other to get the maximum business benefit for you.
One final thing…
Redesigning a site can take a lot of work, but there’s no need to worry! We have an expert team that can simplify your journey and make it hassle-free. Contact us on enquiries@levenmediagroup.co.uk or call us on 01326 574842 and we’ll be more than happy to help you through your planning process.
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