Think it's time?
So it's time to redesign your website, huh? Ever stop to ask yourself why? Redesigning your entire website can be a huge undertaking and it never hurts to be sure that your goals warrant a big move like that.
So, what are your goals? Often times starting at the end and moving forward can be a great way to figure out if you need to at all. If you don't know where you're going how in the world can you get there? This theory definitely applies to website redesign. Let's take a look at a few scenarios and see if they fall under the "best" or "worst" reasons for a website redesign.
Our website is hard to navigate and difficult to use
This one unquestionably finds itself under the "best" category. If your visitors are confused about how to use your site or have difficulty finding what they are looking for they are very likely not going to return. We can all recount websites we've ended up on that fit this bill. Have you gone back to them? I sure haven't. Making a major change to your website so that the visitor experience improves will only help you increase both return visits and business in general. Make it happen, captain!
I saw a website that I loved and want ours to look like it
Do I even have to say it? Well, I will anyway. This resides under the "worst" column for reasons to redesign. For starters, mimicking another website likely crosses a number of legal lines from which you should do your best to avoid. You're also moving away from being unique out there on the web when you should be constantly striving to set yourself apart from the masses.
My nephew can do the redesign for $300!
If I had a dime for every time I've heard that exact line I'd be a.... dime-anaire! If there's one thing I've learned in this life it's that you really do end up getting what you pay for. The order of events in this usually are:
We get the call letting us know about nephew Billy
We respond very understandingly and don't do any hard selling
We patiently wait about 3 months or so
We get a call back regarding how it didn't work out
Our rates had already gone up in those 3 months!
All wise cracks aside, I wouldn't stop you from doing this for a number of reasons. Perhaps you're doing a favor for your brother or sister, who knows. The problem is that this usually is the work of someone very new to the industry. While we all need an opportunity, you have to be very sure that you are ok with the likely outcome which is often taking a step backwards instead of forwards.
Our business model has changed
Now you're talking! This is at the top of the "best" reasons list. Some of the most successful websites are those that closely reflect the business that drives them. There needs to be a strong connect between your website and your offline business. Your visitors will notice the disconnect if there is one. Sometimes a business model change doesn't necessarily require a full redesign but rather a restructuring of the website. However, if you've changed your logo, color scheme, product lines etc... it's time to get out the heavy machinery and find the right website design team.
We are nowhere to be found on search engines
This one actually straddles the line a bit. In some cases a full redesign is in order but in others just some good old fashion TLC on your existing site is enough. You don't need a full start over if your site:
Is easy to navigate
Represents the company well
Is easy to maintain
Has been effective in generating sales
If these are not the case, you may want to slide on over the fence to the redesign yard. SEO is the way to go for being found on search engines (assuming you don't wish to use a pay-per-click advertising approach). Your site should allow for SEO changes to be made easily.
And in the end
There are no hard fast rules as to when and why you should redesign. Circumstances play a huge role in a decision like this. I hope we've given you at least some idea of the good and bad reasons to create a whole new website. Still not sure is you should? You can always contact us and we'll be more than happy to help. We'll likely tell you not to, but ya never know!
Any horror stories about making the wrong decision on this? Share them with us and leave a comment.
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