Website redesign is the complete process of giving the website a makeover. Every element including content, layout and navigation has to be improved and updated. The ultimate goal of this process is to increase the performance of the website.
Here’s a complete guide for you to understand when and why you need a makeover and how it can be done.
Why Redesign a Website?
There are a lot of reasons why people or companies tend to redesign their websites. Some of the main reasons as below:
Outdated Design
The design and the layout plays a major role in a website. It is the main reason to attract visitors and keep them engaged. If the website design is outdated, the bouncing rate of the customers will be higher. And the other competitors will get the benefit out of it.
Look for the color scheme on the website that is off trend, the old and poor layout designs and fonts that have been used for years. These might be the major reasons for the website to be noted as outdated.
An eye catching website with newest trends is what any customer would look for. A pleasant design catches anyone’s attention and this would lead your website to become their favorite.
Poor User Experience
User experience is also an important factor when it comes to a successful website. If the information and the purpose of the page is not highlighted or well organized, difficult to make a purchase or to get any other information easily, the website needs a massive upgrade.
An easy to navigate, organized website guarantees a smooth run and attraction from the users.
Mobile Responsiveness
Using mobile phones to explore and to shop through the internet has now become the new trend. So a website should be very responsive to any smart device.
If the website doesn’t fit to the screen size or the navigation system is complex, users struggle on going through the website. And in some cases, it takes a lot of time to download a page on a mobile device. And this will not keep the users waiting.
The text is also another major issue. If the font is not easy to read or the text is not legible on all screen sizes, people don’t waste their time sitting and trying to understand things.
Changing Business Goals
A website of a company has to reflect the business goals as it is the first point that the customers get contact. The business goals should be well aligned with the direction of the company.
Generating sales, building brand awareness, establishing competitiveness and providing customer support are some of the main parts in business goals that should be focused on while redesigning.
Signs It’s Time to Redesign
Understanding the weaknesses and the pin points that are needed to be changed in a website is much important in redesigning.
There are signs that will confirm it’s time to design the website again.
There are some main indicators that will tell a website is declining its performance.
Slow loading of pages will let the users to be away from a website. This will also impact on the search engine rankings where it will start to massively drop.
A higher bouncing rate, which means that the users leave the website in a short time will be high and this indicates that they don’t find anything important there anymore.
An outdated website makes it look unprofessional and not trustworthy. If users are not able to find relevant information easily, it makes them frustrated and to stay away from the website. Outdated websites usually don’t have clear navigation and well organized content. These outdated functionalities will lead to a poor experience.
Incompatibility of a website with a mobile device can impact significantly on a business as majority of the web traffic are from mobile devices. If the text of a website is quite small, it is a challenge to read it.
And modern websites don’t require java or flash. So if your website is still running on these, it may not work correctly on devices.
Optimizing screen sizes according to the device is also another important feature. If users have to zoom, pinch or swipe to see contents clearly, then the website needs a redesign.
Benefits of Website Redesign
Website redesign can help evolve any business as it relies on the identity and the vision. If these two factors are shifted by time but the online presence is not yet developed, it needs to be redesigned.
There are many benefits of redesigning a website.
The improved experience that the user gets from any website is important and it helps the business to grow. The user-friendly navigation is the most important part that will bring more traffic to the site. It will enhance the users that actually come to the website and actively engage in things.
A fast website with mobile compatibility makes the site more accessible and it will optimize the search of the particular website.
An enhanced brand image will create a positive impression for anyone who is viewing the website. A visually pleasing site will benefit a business in so many ways.
It makes the brand trustworthy and customers find it legitimate and well established. It also emphasizes that the company knows what are new trends and stays up to date with them.
After the redesign there are some factors that can actually help to increase the conversion rates. A well designed website and a user experience can make it visually pleasing and easy to navigate. This will lead to more positive conversations between the business and the customers.
The updated content can also draw new customers and keep them engaged. Make sure they are upto date and relevant. Include eye catching CTAs (call to action) that will encourage the visitors to be active on the website.
A redesign can also improve the optimization by making the website get better search rankings. This can make the page more visible to users and drive more traffic towards it.
Creating a unique brand identity brings competitive advantage to a business. A custom website can be tailored according to the business in order to match the brand. This makes sure that the website is recognized and stands out among the competitors.
Planning a Website Redesign
The first impression about any business is important. A business needs to have proper goals and objectives. So the first step in planning a website redesign is identifying the primary goals of redesigning. This will guide and ensure that the redesigning process will meet the goals of the needs of your business.
Reviewing the current website in terms of user experience helps to get the insights on what sort of improvements are required. This will help to focus on the strengths and the weaknesses of the current website and begin the redesign process accordingly.
Improving the website navigation is also crucial in redesigning. Simple and clear navigation labels are essential for users to understand the contents of the website. A search function where users can quickly access things also should be included. A good navigation helps in positive user experience, and engagement.
In order to enhance the visual appeal, choosing colors that will align and emphasize the brand is important. And selecting images that’s relevant to the purpose of the website can give a clear idea about the business. By using the white space effectively, users will have the attention to the key elements and draw them into the website. Consider fonts, size and color as it complements other elements of the website.
Since more than a half of the web traffic is generated from mobile devices, optimizing the website for mobile is an important step. Make sure that your website downloads quickly on any device. Measure the speeds to improve accordingly. Check whether the media files such as pictures and videos are downloading faster.
Consider using larger input fields and vertical scrolling to improve the user experience.
Updating Content and SEO is also another important part that should be focused on when redesigning a website. As the first step, it’s better to review all the existing content of the website and note down what to remove and improve. Do a thorough keyword research for all the pages of the website. Use tools that are helpful in this.
Update meta descriptions that include keywords to improve the visibility of the website. Use hyperlinking within the pages that will guide to relevant content. This will let your users experience the website efficiently. The algorithms are focused on providing the best content for the users. Therefore, make sure that the content is well aligned with the intention of the users.
You can utilize social media in order to bring the traffic to your website. And the website can also help in providing the space for social media promotions. So integrating social media is also important in web redesigning. Place social media icons on the website in a much visible spot to make it easy to find the pages. You can also utilize the widgets in order to display the social media pages on the website. By implementing these tips, social media can be effectively used to connect with the users.
In order to make sure that the new functions of the website provide the best possible user experience, testing and launch is important. In order to identify bugs, test the website completely and thoroughly. Perform usability testing in order to make sure that users can navigate and use the site easily. Test the website on various platforms like mobile devices to make sure that it works well on all screens.
Ensure that your website meets all the standards. Once the website is tested and launched, make sure that you have a backup of the previous website and DNS settings. Monitor the website and quick fix if there are any bugs discovered.
Overall, redesigning a website takes a lot of effort on thorough research, planning, understanding the users and the objectives of the business and proper launching strategies. If the steps are followed carefully and cautiously, a website can be created where it meets all the business goals while enhancing the user experience.
Contact Tectera who provide web design in Toronto for website redesign.
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