Does this ring a bell?: Over time, your organization’s website — as crucial to your business as it is — started to look outdated and unwieldy. It’s also become hard to expand or even update. You are ready to consider a redesign, but where do you start? Overhauling a website is not as simple as just changing the look and feel. It can be a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can also be an exciting opportunity to take your online presence to the next level.
Whether you’re looking to increase conversions, improve the user experience, refresh your brand identity (or all of the above), a well-planned website redo can have a significant impact on your bottom line. But with so many factors to consider, it’s important to approach the revamp project with clear objectives in mind. From the UX and brand identity to SEO and technology, there are several key elements to consider. Let’s look at each of these factors to give you some practical advice that might just go a long way to ensure that your new website meets your goals and exceeds your expectations.
Purpose and Objectives
Before starting any redesign project, it’s crucial to determine what you hope to achieve with your new website. This will help you prioritize features and design elements that are essential to meet your goals. For example, if your goal is to increase conversions, you may want to focus on making the purchasing process more straightforward and user-friendly.
User Experience (UX)
The UX is how visitors interact with your website and is an essential component of any successful website design. Consider the following when evaluating your website’s UX:
- Navigation: Is it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for?
- Content: Is the content easy to read and understand?
- Speed: Does your website load quickly?
- Responsiveness: Does your website look good and function well on different devices?
Brand Identity
Your website should accurately reflect your brand identity, including your values, mission, and the products or services you offer. Therefore, you should incorporate your brand’s color scheme, font choices, and imagery into the redesign.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engines play a crucial role in how easily your website can be found by potential customers. It’s essential to consider how your design changes may affect your search engine ranking:
- URL structure: Will your URLs change with the redesign, affecting your existing search engine ranking?
- Content: Will the content on your website change, also potentially affecting your search engine ranking?
- Metadata: Will the meta descriptions and titles for each page change with the redesign?
Technology
The technology used to build your website can greatly impact its functionality and usability. Consider the following when evaluating your website’s technology:
- Content Management System (CMS): Is your current CMS still relevant and able to meet your needs?
- Hosting: Is your current hosting solution scalable and able to meet the demands of a growing business?
- Security: Is your website secure and protected against hacking and other security threats?
Redesigning your website is an exciting opportunity to improve your online presence and reach new customers. By considering these key factors, you can ensure that your new site is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, user-friendly, and aligned with your brand identity. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your website redesign, feel free to reach out to us.