A website redesign can help breathe new life into your online presence, but there are many different ways to go about it. You’ll need to consider a few things before you get started, such as the purpose of your website, your target audience, your budget, your timeline and of course what is and isn’t working for you with your current website.
Is it really time for a website redesign?
As any business owner knows, a website is a vital part of your online presence. It’s often the first impression potential customers will have of your company, so it’s important to make sure it’s representing your brand in the best possible light. As your business grows and changes, it’s important to keep your website current. A website redesign can be a great way to refresh your brand and give your customers a better experience. But it’s not always necessary – sometimes a few small tweaks can make a big impact. Before you decide to invest in a redesign, ask yourself these 5 questions:
- Are you happy with your current website performance?
- Does it do a good job of representing your brand?
- Is it as professional as you’d like it to be?
- Is your current website as good or better than your competitors?
- Do you feel your current website converts well?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then it might be time for a website redesign. But if your website is generally doing its job well, you might want to start with some smaller updates and monitor the effectiveness of those changes.
If you’ve made up your mind and know that it’s time to be out with the old and in with the new, then read on to make sure that your next website project is a success (you can also download our comprehensive free guide here: [free guide pop-up]
How to plan properly for your website redesign
Redesigning your website can be a daunting task, especially if your site is mission-critical. But, with proper planning, it can be a smooth and successful process. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when planning your website redesign…
Redesigning your website can be a daunting task, especially if your site is mission-critical. But, with proper planning, it can be a smooth and successful process. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when planning your website redesign:
1 – Set clear goals and objectives.
What do you hope to achieve with the redesign? More sales? More leads? A fresher, more modern look? Be specific and realistic in your goals, and make sure your web designer is on the same page.
2 – Keep the good bits from your existing website
Take time to consider what you like and don’t like, and what’s working and isn’t working on your current site. Make sure that this is clearly communicated with your developer.
3 – Do your research
Take some time to look at other websites in your industry and see what you like and don’t like. Talk to your customers and find out what they think of your current website. This will help you and your designer ensure that your new website really hits the mark.
4 – Make a plan.
Once you know what you want to achieve with the redesign and have some ideas of what you’d like it to look like, it’s time to start putting together a plan. This is where the importance of selecting the right web designer or development team really pays off.
That plan MUST include search engine optimization!
To ensure that all your current pages are moved or recreated correctly (and you don’t screw up your website SEO) you’ll need a well-constructed and comprehensive sitemap that covers your entire website and includes an internal linking strategy (internal links can be used to share important pages with your visitors but also to let search engines know about your most valuable pages). You’ll also need wireframes for the new website so that you can see how everything will fit into place. This foundation will give you a roadmap for the entire project, prevent scope creep (project delays due to unexpected additional work) and help ensure that everyone remains on the same page.
5 – Prepare for launch.
Once your designer or developer has done their job and your new website has been designed and built, it’s important to put some thought into how you’ll launch it. Will you do a soft launch with just a few changes, or go all out with a complete rebranding and advertising campaign? How will you promote the new website? Having a solid plan for launch will help ensure that your website redesign is not only successful but also maximise exposure and make the most of your amazing new asset.
What questions should you be asking your website developer/designer?
There are a few key questions you should ask your chosen website developer or designer before they get started. redesigning a website can be a big undertaking and it’s not a job that’s well-suited to all design companies. There are additional steps to take and factors to consider when replacing an existing website (as opposed to starting from scratch), so it’s important to make sure that you’re working with the right team to get the job done. Here are some key questions to ask your website developer or designer before beginning a website redesign:
– What experience do you have with website redesigns?
– What does your website redesign process look like?
– Who will be responsible for managing the redesign project?
– What platforms and technologies will you be using?
– Will it still use the same content management system?
– How long do you anticipate the project taking?
– What is the total redesign cost for your project?
– Have you worked on similar website redesign projects in the past? If so, can you give me some examples?
– How will you ensure that the website is responsive and looks great on mobile devices?
– What kind of testing and QA will be done before launch?
– How will you handle website hosting and domain management?
Asking these questions upfront will help to ensure that you’re on the same page as your development team and that everyone is clear about the scope and objectives of your website redesign project. With clear communication and a shared vision, your website redesign is far more likely to succeed.
What the website redesign process looks like
As we’ve discussed, When you redesign a website, it’s an opportunity to take a step back and evaluate your website as a whole. The goal is to identify areas that are not performing well on your own website and to come up with a plan to improve the website’s overall performance. Web design companies will have their own methods for handling redesigns and we can’t possibly cover them all. So, it’s probably best to share how we feel the redesign process should be managed.
Interactive Onboarding = Good User Experience (UX)
For us, the first step in the redesign plan is a discovery session (the same as with brand-new sites). This is an opportunity for you to share your website goals with us and for us to learn more about your business and your target customers. We will also take a look at your Google Analytics data (or your chosen analytics provider) to get an understanding of your website visitors, user behaviour (how they are currently interacting with your site) and your website’s performance in general. We’ll discuss any critical landing pages with you, Based on this information, we’ll create a website redesign plan.
This plan will begin with a comprehensive sitemap that outlines the structure of your new website. Once the sitemap is approved, we will move on to creating prototypes for your new website design. Once the design is finalized, we will launch your new website and begin tracking its performance.
Launching your new website
When launching your website redesign, one of the most important things to consider is how you’ll promote the new site. After all, this is the perfect opportunity to consider a marketing strategy and increase exposure. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to spread the word about your redesigned website.
One option is to leverage your existing social media accounts. If you have a strong presence on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, make sure to let your followers know about the upcoming changes. You can also use paid social media advertising to reach a wider audience. Another option is to reach out to influencers in your industry and ask them to mention the new website on their own channels.
Of course, promotion doesn’t have to be limited to online channels. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, make sure to let your customers know that you have a new website. You can do this by including information in print materials such as flyers and brochures, or by prominently displaying signage in your store or office. And don’t forget about good old-fashioned word of mouth! Encourage your employees and customers to tell their friends and family about the website redesign or relaunch.
With a little bit of planning, you can ensure that your redesigned website gets the attention it deserves. By utilizing a mix of online and offline promotion strategies, you can reach a wide audience and increase traffic to your site.
Maintaining your website post-redesign
Once your website has been redesigned, it’s important to take some steps to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly. First, take some time to familiarize yourself with the new design and layout. This will help you to spot any potential problems or areas that need improvement. Additionally, be sure to test all of the site’s features and functionality to ensure that they are working correctly (or have your design and development team do this for you).
If you didn’t have one before, now is the time to have a plan in place for technical maintenance. Either invest in a website care plan or make a list of regular maintenance tasks and assign those responsibilities to a specific person/team. If your website software isn’t regularly maintained and updated then you risk impacting how your site will perform and even potential security breaches.
Finally, keep an eye on your website’s traffic and performance stats to identify any areas where further optimization is needed. By taking these steps, you can help to ensure that your website continues to run smoothly and efficiently post-redesign.
As you can see, website redesigns can be tricky, but if you follow these tips then you’ll have the best chance of a successful website re-launch. First, make sure that you take the time to plan and prepare properly before starting the redesign process. This includes gathering all of the necessary information up-front and creating a detailed sitemap. Second, ensure that your website design is user-friendly and easy to navigate. And finally, use a mix of online and offline promotion strategies to reach as many people as possible. By following these guidelines, you’ll set yourself up for website redesign success!
