5 Reasons to Consider a Website Redesign & 3 Easy Ways to Get Started
If you launched a website for your organization, you were probably happy to check it off your to-do list. But the truth about websites is that your work is never really done.
You need to regularly revisit your website to ensure it accurately and effectively showcases your brand, engages your audience, and drives leads and conversions.
We recommend website check-ups throughout the year and a full website redesign every three to five years.
Let’s look at why website redesigns are necessary and the steps you can take to update and upgrade one of your brand’s most important marketing assets.
5 Reasons You Need a Website Redesign
Website redesigns are an opportunity to make sure your website is up-to-date, accurate, operational, and secure. Here are a few top reasons why you need to regularly revisit your website’s design, tools, and content.
To keep up with web design aesthetics (and build trust)
If you go back and look at websites from the early 2000s, it’s easy to see why websites need to be updated to keep up with web design aesthetics.
Screenshot of Macys.com from March 2000 via Wayback Machine.
As design best practices evolve, so do customer expectations. A website that has an out-of-date design doesn’t send positive signals to your audience and can even make your brand look untrustworthy. Outdated website design can lead audiences to think your brand isn’t keeping up with other trends and best practices.
To improve user experience
Design updates provide two benefits. Updates help the website look better and work better. Keeping up with website design and development best practices allows you to continue to offer a good experience to your website visitors.
The way people use websites (and expect to use websites) is always changing. As habits change, you need to keep your website aligned with user expectations. During a website redesign, you can update the design, functions, and layout of your website to match changing user habits, needs, and expectations.
Related: The 8 Critical Dos and Don’ts of Website Maintenance
To update and upgrade your technology
Updating the frontend of your website (what the user sees) is important and so is updating the backend of your website (the software that powers your website). The technology and tools your website uses -- such as its content management systems (CMS), themes, integrations, and plugins -- are always evolving. You must update tools to keep up with the latest versions, and in some cases, replace outdated tools.
A website redesign allows you to update the backend of your website so you have the latest technology that can enhance security, increase page load speed and performance, offer valid site analytics, and provide better user experiences.
To align with new business goals
As your business evolves -- so should your website. If your business goals and positioning change, you must update the content on your website and the funnel you use to attract leads and sales. Conduct a website review if you change your brand messaging, product offerings, or target audience.
A website review helps you to identify if you need to update your website to match your new messaging, copy, pricing, and call-to-actions with your new positioning.
Related: 5 Ways to Reposition Your Brand - And Why You Should
To improve website effectiveness
Even if your website design, functionality, and technology are up-to-date and your brand messaging is accurate, you may still want to consider a website redesign or iterative refresh to improve the conversion effectiveness of your website.
There is no exact formula for making a website work for your business. You can only use data to make an informed first try -- and then use your data to learn, iterate, and improve. A website redesign allows you to try new tactics and marketing strategies and run tests to see if you can better leverage your website traffic and drive more conversions.
Related: B2B Website Content: What Pages Every Site Needs to Succeed
How to Start a Website Redesign
If you find yourself in a scenario where your organization could benefit from a website redesign, don’t let the overwhelm of starting the project hold you back. The benefits are worth the work, and the process isn’t difficult if you have a plan and an experienced team to execute.
Here are a few ways to get started.
1. Audit your site analytics. Before you change anything on your website, review how your site is currently performing. Your analytics can help you identify places to improve and also highlight things that are already working that you don’t want to change. Look at how people are finding your site. What are the top acquisition channels? Look at what pages have high engagement. What pages have low bounce rates and a high number of pageviews? And how have these metrics trended over time?
2. Audit your on-site messaging. Go through the pages of your website and determine if they match your existing branding and messaging. Are you talking to the right people? Are you telling them what to do with a clear call-to-action? Rank pages based on quality, accuracy, and usefulness, and note which pages need updating.
3. Audit your website technology. Audit and assess the software and tools used by your website. Determine if tools are outdated, and consider which tools are unnecessary. You may find you can consolidate older tools with newer technology. While it may seem daunting in the short term, consolidating and updating tools and subscriptions will largely pay off in the long-term.
And remember: Don’t wait until you are thinking about doing a website redesign to audit your analytics, branding, messaging, software, and tools. Make this a part of your ongoing marketing tasks.
Related: How Much Does a Website Cost?
Ready to Start Your Website Redesign?
Your website is an essential marketing asset. It’s one of the most important resources in your marketing tool kit. Don’t let it fall to the wayside.
Regularly review and update your websites to keep up with evolving industry trends, business objectives, and user needs. Make changes as needed, and plan to conduct a larger update or redesign every three to five years to keep your website up-to-date, accurate, and working for your brand. And remember, a website redesign is not a one-time event but an ongoing process.
If you need help with a website redesign, our team is here to help. Talk to us today about our website design and optimization services and how we can help you with your website. Contact us today to learn more.