It's a lot of work to redesign your website. It's like the first time you bought an ethernet cable and had to figure out what port it was plugged into. After all that work, you may wonder why you bother updating your website. You can only ignore your website's flaws for so long.
It's good to know that company website redesign isn't difficult. We will show you how to quickly and easily do this. From beginning to end, you'll learn everything about redesigning your site, including why it is important to update your website.
Why Redesign Your Site?
Traffic and conversions are the lifeblood of any online business. It's not always obvious to business people how important web design is for the bottom line. A vendor's tactics can increase their chances of selling when they are in person. Your site's design will also increase the chances of conversion. You can still apply the same business psychology principles online. Just translate them visually. Your button's right color and placement will increase the number of people who use it. Look at the CTA button that Levon Resources used in their redesign.
Search engine optimization can help you even before visitors arrive at your site. SEO tactics are updated every few years. This is especially true when Google updates their algorithm or introduces new technology. Alexa, and other voice-controlled intelligent speakers, are the latest examples. As the words people use when typing differ from those used when speaking, companies now include more speech-specific keywords in their SEO strategy. These tech disturbances are why businesses should update their website designs regularly.
Do Design Decisions Make A Real Difference? Take A Look At This Example
We at CISIN rely as much as anyone on the benefits of a website redesign. We redesign our home page periodically, not because we think it's underperforming, but to see if it could be even more effective. We wondered if adding a video to our website would increase conversions. We wanted to test our hypothesis before we just proceeded with a redesign. Testing designs with users before redesigning is vital because it will reveal which designs are most likely to increase traffic and conversions.
We recommend A/B testing, in which two versions of the screen are presented to different test groups. The behavior of each group is then recorded. You should only test one variable to avoid misinterpretations. If one group of testers responds better than another, that is the version for your website redesign. We compared a new version to our homepage's original (control). The version with the video diverted more users away from our launch page, one of our most important conversion pages, and towards our featured category page. The video version redirected traffic more to the featured category page but away from our main conversion page. It's time to start over.
We tested different versions and fine-tuned our results using the data from previous tests. Testing revealed that the best home page for conversions was one with less copy and a small video in the corner. Human behavior is surprisingly predictable. Therefore, definitive tactics have been developed and proven over the past twenty years in the development of the Internet. This science is growing every day. It includes knowing how to structure navigation, when to insert graphics, and how to lengthen text.
We don't think you will know these small details. A good designer knows how to do this. We recommend that you hire a professional to help with these aspects. They know what to do and will save you time.
Why Should You Redesign Your Existing Website?
The purpose of designing a website is to attract, retain, and convert visitors into clients. Not all websites can achieve this goal. You are losing out on much revenue if your website isn't interactive, attractive, and user-friendly. Websites are a cost-effective and attractive way to promote your business online.
How to achieve this? Redesigning your website is the answer. Google is well-known for providing the best possible results to users. This means that Google is constantly changing its algorithms and removing outdated features. By updating your website, you can ensure that you remain on the first search result page. Updating your website can have many benefits, including ranking at the top. Let's look at some of them.
1. Your Website Is Not Appealing To Visitors
We are all familiar with the famous phrase, "First Impression is the Last Impression". This saying also applies to your website. First impressions can be crucial to presenting your organization's ethics and giving an idea of its vision. The user interface heavily influences your website's conversion rate. Poor design can lead to declining growth, while a well-designed interface can boost sales and ROI. Consult a web development company with developers who excel at creating stunning websites for thoughtful design.
2. Your Website Shows Errors Regularly
Technology is evolving at an accelerated pace every day and will continue to do so in the coming years. This fast-changing world aims to give users faster, more interactive, smoother, and easier access to their websites. Before you can declare your website ready for launch, several checks must be made. The two most important factors are the Website Navigation Check Process and Website Content Update Process.
3. You Want To Protect Data
It is an era of technological advancement where technology is available to both good and evil. Some people may try to hack into your system and steal private and secure information. This can cause chaos in an organization. You can upgrade your security and protect your data with the new algorithms released yearly. To learn the latest security measures, hire a web development company. Older websites, however, are built on outdated technology. This means that the chances of a security breach are greater. That is why web development companies insist on updating your website.
4. The Retention Rate Of Your Site Is Low
The layout of your site is usually the first thing people notice, but it isn't the last step. You need to engage your audience with creative content. This can be achieved by updating the content on your website. The retention rate will be very low if you do not engage the user. Content should be interactive, engaging, and informative about your website redesign services. Graphics are important in attracting visitors to your site.
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5. You Want To Be On The First Page Of Google Search
You can update your Search engine optimization settings when you make changes to your website. Appearing in the top search engine results establishes you as a brand, and your audience sees the best content. Google's algorithms change every few months, so updating your On-page and Off-Page optimization regularly is important.
6. Your Audience Doesn't Like To Wait
We all live a fast-paced lifestyle in the age of 4G mobile networks. We also have no time to waste on websites that are slow. There are many other options on the Internet. Your website may take longer to load if you have weighted sites that are not optimized. Ask your team for a load time of less than 3 seconds.
7. It Is Difficult To Navigate Through Your Website
By user experience, we mean the navigation of pages and sections on a website. The days of users spending more time on a website in order to find information are over. With so many choices available today, it is important to have seamless navigation and logical flow. Professional web design companies are available.
8. Mobile Users Have A Poor Experience With The Website
Statistics show that half of all traffic comes from mobile phones. If your website is not accessible from mobile phones, you lose 53% of the traffic. Today, a phrase that is popular in the field of website development is, i.e. mobile-first website development. The mobile-first approach means that you will be developing your website primarily for users who access the internet mainly from their mobile phones.
9. Your Website Does Not Have Access To Popular Tools
One of the main reasons for redesigning your website is to integrate new integrations. Here are some of the latest integrations:
- Social Media Links.
- Google Analytics.
- Hoardings and Banners that are Attractive.
- Secure Payment Gateways.
- Reservation/booking gateways.
- Ecommerce plugins.
- Content management systems.
10. You're Not Educating Your Audience
It is the age of Inbound Marketing, and direct selling will not work. You must properly educate and inform your audience about your product and how it solves their problem better than your competitors. This requires the website to have engaging and relevant content. Websites that have blogs convert 38% higher than those without.
11. Visitors But No Customers
Calls-to-actions are among the best Custom Website Development hacks to maximize your website's potential. Call-to-actions (CTAs) are buttons or links that you place on the first page of your website to attract visitors and convert them into leads. Ensure that your CTAs have a clear definition and are interesting and engaging to your visitors so they will follow them.
12. Your Landing Pages Are Not Optimized
The bounce rate is simply the percentage of visitors who arrive on your website and leave it without viewing a second webpage. A high bounce rate can indicate a site is outdated or not performing well. We can fix the problems and customize the content by updating the site. This will lower the bounce rate.
13. You Need A Dynamic And Modern Website
Your website may be cluttered with HTML code that is unnecessary. This can affect the speed of your website and, therefore, your Google ranking. Modern techniques, such as CSS, allow you to make your website accessible on any smartphone device.
14. You Wish To Alter Your Brand Colors And Values
Your website is an online reflection of the work patterns within your organization. You will notice that your work patterns and processes have evolved and changed over time. If you are rebranding, your website needs to reflect these changes and promote them for better prospects.
Read More: 5 Simple Steps To An Effective Top Web Designing Company Strategy
When Should You Redesign Your Website?
You should update your site every 3-4 years. This is a rough guideline, and some situations or companies may not adhere to it. If you want a reference point, First Scribe, a design agency, says it should be every "3 years, 3 months, 3 days, 3 hours, 3 minutes and 3 seconds on the dot." This rule is in line with current design and SEO trends. Your website will look old to casual web users if it is longer than this. Most companies cannot meet this deadline, and many cannot because they do not have the resources. We've created a list with 7 red flags that will let you know that you can no longer delay redesigning your site.
1. The Technology Is Outdated
Is your website mobile-responsive? In the past, it was possible to use the same design for desktop and mobile. But that's no longer true. That's the point. Every few years, how people interact with the internet and browse it changes. If you don't, people will stop using your site. Ask 8 out of 10 users who won't engage with a website if it doesn't display well on their mobile device.
Flash is a good example of this. Flash was also the cutting edge technology in the early 2000s. Many sites still rely on it today. Flash was created for desktops, but when mobiles became the dominant platform, Flash was a hindrance. After browsers stopped supporting Flash, websites started to throw it out like old meat. If your website still uses Flash or any other outdated tech, it's time to redesign.
2. Your Template Website Limits Your Future Goals
For tiny businesses with low resources, template websites are excellent, but they are only as large as their bowl. Your business will eventually require a larger website that can be scaled. You can gain many benefits by expanding your template website or removing it. These include better web applications, richer graphics and designs, more freedom in your design, and the ability to add additional pages. This is essential for e-commerce sites that are expanding their product lines. You can use your own payment gateways in order to avoid paying commissions to your online landlord.
3. You Are Targeting A New Target Market
Redesigning a website is a common business decision. Targeting a new audience means introducing new visuals and a more user-friendly interface to satisfy them. Imagine switching from Millennials to Baby-boomers. You would have to stop using emojis or the word "cray." Different demographics, locations and cultures have different preferences regarding visuals, text, interfaces, interaction, search keywords, and even your site's architecture. You may need to redesign your website if the market shift is significant. For example, their average income can affect which devices they browse on.
4. You're Rebranding
It could be you. You may want to alter your brand values or realize you will gain more business by appearing more approachable. Your site should reflect your brand personality. Even minor changes, such as a new brand color scheme, may require a complete site redesign. Consistency is key to a subtle aesthetic change. If your site does not reflect your new brand, it will appear outdated.
5. It's Not Possible To Update It Regularly
It's no longer necessary to understand code in order to update your website. WordPress and other CMSs are becoming popular among people who want control over their websites. Google and other search engines have caught onto this trend. Sites which regularly update, like blogs, are rewarded with higher rankings. Redesigning your site to allow faster posting is beneficial to SEO. You'll be surprised at how simple it is to install a CMS today. Not to mention, it's practical.
6. Modern Design Trends Are Important To Keep Up With
It's not always necessary to redesign a website. It can be more superficial. People hesitate to do business with an old website, just as wearing out-of-date clothes can be off-putting. Web design, a visual medium, is not immune to stylistic trends. We see a lot of aesthetic trends come and go every few years. This is why we avoid skeuomorphism, even though it was popular in early years. If you want your company to be seen as modern, it is important to dress the part.
7. Your Business Is Not Meeting Its Goals
Your website may not be doing its job. If your website isn't converting at the rate you want or has a high bounce rate and low email signups, the problem could be the design. It was mentioned in the first section, but it is worth repeating that good web design can increase conversions and bring new visitors. If your website is not performing well, you should review and change your design from the ground up.
What Type Of Redesign Is Needed?
It's not always easy to redesign your website. You may prefer to redesign your website at Point C or somewhere between Points D & E. We'll look at some of the most common types.
Periodic Update
All websites should be redesigned every few years. It would be the same as taking your car in for a regular check-up if car parts were outdated within five years. Regular updates will keep your website looking great and performing at its best. This type of redesign focuses on keeping up with the latest design trends, both visuals and usability (such as gesture controls that are currently in fashion) and refreshing your SEO strategy.
The good news is that you don't need to spend a fortune redesigning your website every few years. The updates are usually minor but become more costly the longer you delay. In the same way, periodic tune-ups are cheaper than replacing broken parts.
Refocusing On Strategic Priorities
This type of redesign is more about a change in your brand. It could be a new target market, changing your image, or showcasing an important change, such as promoting an event or announcing a spokesperson. It may not be necessary for some companies to change their website's focus, but it is often done on short notice and with a strict deadline. The cost of a website redesign varies depending on the extent of the change.
Read More: 4 Website Strategies You Want to Stop Using Right Now
Redesigns Based On Data Or Customers
This is similar to strategic refocusing, except that the changes are dictated either by customers or data from the customer. You might notice that customers are complaining about finding things on your website. A rapidly decreasing conversion rate could be another example.
Regular user testing is the key to truly understanding your customers, not just when it comes to redesigning your site. Focus on empirical data instead of guesswork to determine what changes must be made and how. Testing can reveal the best design choices, as in the previous section, with A/B testing.
It's not just about visuals or usability. User data can tell you what devices your customers use most so you know where to focus. Data analysis can reveal some surprising results, particularly if you find that many of your website's visitors use a device for which your site was not designed.
How Can You Redesign Your Website? How To Redesign Your Site?
Here are three simple steps to redesign your website:
1. Draft Goals
You must be clear about what you hope to achieve with your redesign. This will save you time and money. Does it mean your site must look and function according to current standards? Attract new visitors? Your objectives should be as explicit and practical as you can.
website redesign business, Making your goals a collective decision is important. Include representatives from every department within your business: Marketing, Sales, Technical Specialists, IT, Accounting, Customer Service, Executives even Human Resources might have something valuable to say. Your website is a microcosm for your brand. It should reflect all aspects. It's worth checking user data, even if it's just a regular update. This could reveal issues you were unaware of, and you'll also know what changes you need to prioritize.
You can then conduct more effective tests to determine which changes will solve your problems most effectively. A/B Testing is another way to understand your customers. You can do this yourself using services like Optimizely.
- Surveys: You can add a survey for your customers to your site to hear what they want to change.
- Heat Maps: A kind of user testing, heat maps will show you the areas of your website screen that visitors will most likely interact with. This provides valuable insights into your website's layout, navigation, images, and conversion strategies.
- Professional Assessment: You can hire designers to review your website and give you advice on what changes you should make. This is a more expensive option.
Before proceeding, check in with your SEO team to see if they can improve. Look at the performance of current keywords to see if any have potential.
2. Hire The Right Person
You have to think about more than what you want. You also need to consider the budget of your company. Which of the options below would be most realistic for your business?
Internal
Check if you have web designers or developers on staff. Remember that not all designers can be web designers. This might be beyond their abilities. You can hire a freelancer to help them out if they are too busy.
Agencies
It's a good option for those not wanting to be involved with the design process. This option is more like a "handoff" and waiting. A good agency will have specialists on staff, so every aspect of your website should be handled based on the quality of their work. A downside to agencies is their high price. If you're concerned about prices, it might be better to choose a less expensive option.
Freelancer
The ideal solution is to hire a freelancer designer as a middle ground between redesigning your website yourself or using an agency. The same level of design expertise as an agency is available at a fraction of the price. It's important to find a designer that matches your style. Use our search tool and filter designers by their industry, skill level, etc.
Design contest
A design contest can be a good alternative to hiring a designer for those who prefer to see the final product before deciding. Designers from around the world then submit their samples based on your brief. You then choose the finalist and provide them with notes so they can better understand what you are looking for. Then, choose the design that you like most in the mobile version.
This is a good way to develop your visual concepts, but it may require additional work to design the entire website. With the help of services, you can start with your website redesign. You'll need to consider how your website design will be developed, no matter what you decide. You can hire a freelancer to develop your website if you do not have a developer on staff.
3. Design Process
The design process can be pretty simple from your side design option or design ideas. Depending on how involved you are, you can decide how often you would like to communicate with your professional designer. The project is now largely in the hands of the dedicated designer. You can also give the designer notes to help guide them. Be sure to clearly communicate your needs and wants to avoid delays in design services.
This is a brief explanation of the procedure. You can find out more in our ultimate guide to website design.
- Wireframing: a rough outline of a proposed design.
- Look & Feel: Setting the right atmosphere tone depending on your brand & goals.
- Create The Page Template: laying the foundation for the final design.
- Coding: Your developer builds the design.
- Fill Out Content: you and/or your designer can add specific images, words, or other elements. Into the template.
- User Testing: see your users' reactions to your new design. Catch any mistakes.
The length of the design process depends on the number and severity of changes and the amount that needs to be done. You can pay for overtime if you are short on time.
Want More Information About Our Services? Talk to Our Consultants!
Conclusion: Redesigning Your Website Will Make A Difference
Everyone loves a good makeover, right? Recently, our system had a huge website redesign business that showed how much a redesign can change your website. Many companies contacted us to help expand its clientele into new areas. They also wanted to reduce the time their existing clients spent on their website.
This will help you identify the features and technologies that are most current and useful to you when you need to redesign your site. You need to hire experts in order to create modern, sleek, and customer-oriented sites. Millions of websites are competing for the exact same position. In these cases, having industry knowledge can be a game changer.
CISIN has a team of industry experts who have helped businesses increase their ROI. Use this experience to attract customers through a design that is backed by research. Consult CISIN experts if you are in doubt.
