Whatever the reason, in our experience, a redesign can solve a lot of problems, but – if done wrong – it can also ruin entire businesses (you’ll read a story about that below). This guide is here to help you self-audit your website and decide if it’s time for a redesign.
We believe that what’s good for customers is good for business, and our central thesis in this guide is that the best, safest and most effective way to redesign a website is by approaching it with thought for customers.
What is a website redesign?
A website redesign is done at a high level and involves significantly changing elements such as the code, content, structure and visual elements of your current website to provide easier, simpler navigation for customers on your website. A great website redesign tends to increase revenue, reduce bounce rates, and improve user experience (UX).
First, some semantics to make sure you take the right actions and make the right decision. Whether what you’re doing is considered a redesign or a refresh depends on how many changes you’re making and how extensive they are:
- When you decide on a redesign, the code and visual appearance of the website changes significantly. For example, a new visual identity and branding are introduced, pages are UX-design restructured to include new modules and functionalities, the information architecture is updated, and a new CMS (content management system) is introduced if necessary.
- A design refresh is done when the basic structure and functionality of the website are mainly left untouched and minor changes are implemented. For example, the look and feel of the site are updated with a new colour palette and typography, or small UX tweaks are added to individual page templates.
6 Questions to Ask Before a Website Redesign
Research is an essential part of your website redesign process: it’s the best way to find out what works and what doesn’t, and to dig deeper into what your target customers want and how to make your website more user-friendly. When you start thinking about a redesign (or a design refresh), there are questions about your existing website and customers that you MUST be able to answer:
- What are the most valuable and visited pages right now?
- Who visits your website and why?
- What drives or stops your customers from taking action on your site?
- How will your team/business be affected by the redesign?
- How to measure success with key performance indicators (KPI)?
- What to change – and how to test it?
Here are eight signs it’s time to redesign your website.
1. Your website is not working towards your business goals.
If your website is not designed to serve your business goals, you will be disappointed with the return you get on your investment. All of our creative work is driven by your business goals. We want to know what you’re trying to achieve as a business, how you’re going to measure it, and how our team can build a site that achieves those goals.
If your site isn’t generating enough (or any) revenue, if it’s not ranking in Google, your website probably isn’t meeting your business goals and probably needs a redesign.
2. You have high bounce rates and low conversions.
If your website has high bounce rates and low conversions, you have a problem.
What are bounce and conversion rates, and why do they matter?
Sites are designed to be engaging and engaging for your users, and there are some metrics we use to determine if your site is providing the experience your audience expects. Bounce is when a user leaves your website after visiting just one page, meaning they probably haven’t thoroughly explored the content or product offerings you have.
A conversion is when users take the action they want on your site – call, contact you via a contact form, subscribe or buy a product.
3. Your website is slow.
We’ve talked about this topic a lot, but we can’t help but mention it here because it’s one of the most important components of keeping customers on your website.
Slow load times can be the result of a poorly designed (built) website or an increase in traffic that has overwhelmed the infrastructure behind the site.
If you want to read more about the benefits and negatives of fast loading or how to optimize your website’s loading speed, you can do so by directly clicking on the embedded links.
4. Your site is not mobile-friendly.
It is extremely important to prioritize the mobile experience as much as (if not more than) the desktop version of your website. It doesn’t have to be difficult or clunky to navigate or separate design for mobile devices. Creating separate mobile website designs is a thing of the past. This is where the adaptive design trend comes in – instead of developing two separate websites for desktop and mobile users, responsive web design provides a website that adapts its design and content for the device it is loaded on.
5. Your site design is outdated.
No matter how functional a website is, the visuals matter.
Focusing on aesthetics makes the first impression a unique and easy experience for customers entering your website. Think about how modern and sleek your competitors’ websites are compared to yours. This is something we always consider when working with clients. What is the competitor’s website like visually?
6. Your site is hard to navigate.
If you need a tour guide to navigate your customers through your website, you urgently need a redesign!
Make it easy for your customers. If information is hard to find, pages are hidden or “unlabeled,” or lack relevant links and calls to action, that’s a problem.
If users can’t find what your company does, what you offer, and how to contact you, that’s a bigger problem.
7. It’s hard to make content changes.
If you’re struggling to update your site’s content because it’s built on a template or doesn’t have a content management system (CMS), or it just always seems difficult to change something simple, you might want to migrate to a CMS to save time and money.
8. You rebrand
If you’re rebranding, then you need a redesign. With a rebrand, you’ll likely have new business goals to address and perhaps a completely different approach to the visual elements of your brand.
Conclusion
If your website has the problems we mentioned above, it’s time to take a step towards redesigning your site. Contact an agency that will consult you for free and create a well-thought-out strategy for redesigning your website. If you need a free consultation or advice, please contact us!
