The New Year is here, and it’s the perfect time to give your business a fresh start—starting with your website. A modern, secure, and optimized site can set the tone for growth in 2025.
These days, tech-savvy customers rely on websites to find businesses, make purchases, and check reviews. To connect with them and keep your business thriving, your website must be in great shape as you kick off the year. A redesign might be just what you need to impress both customers and prospects.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through some website resolutions to help your business get the refresh it deserves for the new year.
Why you may need an entire website redesign
A Stanford University study revealed that 75% of consumers judge a company’s credibility based on its website design. This highlights just how important a website is in shaping your business’s reputation. If your site feels outdated or difficult to navigate, it may be time for a redesign.
It’s also important to keep up with current trends, particularly the shift to mobile-first design. Websites optimized for mobile have faster loading speeds, improved performance, and a better overall user experience. This kind of design can make all the difference in how well your site performs on mobile and how your customers interact with it.
If you don’t have a website yet, Web.com makes it easier to create one. Our custom website design services take the stress off your shoulders, handling everything from start to finish. We’ll create a professional, fully personalized site that fits your business needs.
If you want a more hands-on experience, our DIY website builder gives you the tools to build your own site quickly and easily, with no technical experience required.
Refine your website design
Aside from functionality, design is crucial for creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website. If you feel your current site needs a new coat, here are some areas in your current website you can improve design-wise:
Navigation and menu structure
Issue: Complicated navigation on your web pages can confuse visitors, making it difficult for them to find what they’re looking for.
Solution: Streamline your menu structure to organize your site’s content. Use clear labels, intuitive navigation menus, and logical categorization to help visitors easily navigate your website.
Content layout and readability
Issue: Poorly formatted content, small fonts, and cluttered layouts can deter visitors from engaging with your content.
Solution: Use readable fonts, appropriate font sizes, and clear headings. Break content into digestible sections with plenty of white space. Incorporate visuals like images, videos, and infographics to enhance engagement. You can even consider getting a new logo to refresh your brand image.
Another great way to find areas for improvement on your website is to use a Website Grader tool. This tool considers several key factors for website success and measures performance based on those factors.
These elements are important in search ranking performance and website user experience. The Website Grader website analysis report will give you a comprehensive view of all areas of your site.
Color scheme and visual consistency
Issue: Inconsistent color usage and a mismatched visual theme can make your site look unprofessional.
Solution: Choose a cohesive color palette that aligns with your brand. Maintain consistency in color usage, typography, and imagery across all pages to create a visually unified experience.
Improve your site speed
The first five seconds are crucial to your website’s conversion rates. eCommerce sites that load within 0-2 seconds get the highest conversions. And it’s not just that.
Page speed has always been a significant Google ranking factor. If your website loads fast, it will likely rank higher on its search engine results pages (SERPs).
So, if you want to greet the New Year with a bang, get your website up to speed. The following methods should help your site get the speed refresh it needs.
Evaluate your current speed
Is your website running slow? If you’re unsure, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to analyze its website’s current speed. This should help you identify issues and areas that need improvement, such as large images, unnecessary plugins, or server-related problems.
Optimize images
Images can take up space on your website. But, of course, you wouldn’t want your site to be dull and unappealing. If you’re running an online store, having high-quality product images is crucial. The solution? Image compression.
Compress images without compromising quality using Adobe Photoshop, TinyPNG, or plugins like Smush for WordPress. Moreover, consider using responsive images that fit different devices and screen sizes.
Minimize HTTP requests
Reduce the number of elements on your pages, like scripts and stylesheets. Combine multiple CSS or JavaScript files into one to minimize HTTP requests. Use CSS sprites for small images to reduce the number of image requests.
Enable browser caching
Enable browser caching to store frequently accessed resources in visitors’ browsers, reducing loading times for returning users. Set an appropriate expiration date for the cached content.
Evaluate your hosting
Your hosting can make or break your website, so assess whether you need to upgrade or switch to another hosting plan or provider.
As your business grows, a reliable hosting service ensures your site keeps up with its increasing demands, helping it load quickly without interruptions. It also influences your website’s search engine ranking and overall user experience. So, consider getting web hosting that offers ample resources to meet the demands of your business website.
For starters, choose from Web.com’s wide range of hosting plans. We also provide accessible customer support, regular backups, and robust security measures, ensuring your website operates smoothly and efficiently for visitors.
Assess your content management system (CMS)
CMSs usually have a wide range of plugins or modules to help optimize your website’s performance. These tools can enable caching, minify CSS and JavaScript files, and optimize images, all of which contribute to faster page load times. Speed is crucial for user experience, and we all know poor user experience is terrible for SEO.
WordPress, one of the most popular CMSs, is a great choice for those looking to launch their business online, whether to gain sales or attract more leads. If you have an existing site using the WordPress platform, that’s even better! You can transfer it to a more powerful WordPress Hosting plan, which already comes pre-installed with the CMS, so you don’t have to.
Optimize your site for mobile
Mobile-friendly websites are designed to fit smaller screens and touch interfaces. They offer a seamless and intuitive browsing experience, making it easy for users to access, navigate, read content, and interact with the site. A positive user experience helps satisfy more users and increases the chances of conversion.
Mobile sites get half of the web traffic worldwide. So, don’t miss out! Here are several ways to redesign a responsive website.
Use a responsive design framework
- CSS Media Queries: Implement CSS media queries to define different styles for different devices. Media queries let you apply distinct styles based on the device’s characteristics, such as screen width.
- Bootstrap or Foundation: Use responsive design frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation on your mobile site. These frameworks provide pre-built components and styles that are responsive out of the box.
Flexible grid layout
- Use percentage-based widths for elements instead of fixed pixel widths. This allows elements to resize proportionally based on the user’s screen size.
Fluser’s images and media
- Use CSS to make images and media elements (like videos) responsive. Set images’ max-width property to 100% to ensure they do not exceed the width of their container.
- Consider using the srcset attribute for images to accommodate different image sizes for various screen resolutions and sizes.
Use current design trends and interactive elements
- Keep your website design engaging by using current design trends. Minimalism, dark mode, and interactive elements can all help to improve the user experience.
Readable typography
- Use legible and readable fonts, especially for smaller screens. Maintain an appropriate font size, line height, and contrast for optimal readability.
Touch-friendly navigation
- Design touch-friendly navigation menus and buttons. Buttons and links should have enough spacing around them to prevent accidental clicks. Use larger touch targets for interactive elements.
But if you don’t have the expertise or resources to do it, you can have your website refreshed or redesigned by a reputable online solutions provider like Web.com. Our team of expert designers can help you create a mobile-friendly website that’s both beautiful and effective.
Create website content that attracts customers
Aside from your website’s functionality, good content engages and inspires your customers and motivates them to take action. Looking for new content ideas to promote your products or services? Read below.
Start a blog
Nearly half of small business owners say they don’t understand blogging or don’t have a blog, which you must use to your advantage. By writing compelling blog articles, you’ll help your business and brand stand out in the marketplace.
A business blog establishes you as an industry expert and thought leader. It also helps connect customers with your brand and allows them to share your content through their social media channels.
Write high-converting content
Want more conversions? Be strategic in producing and publishing website content — that is, if you don’t want to increase your bounce rates. Here are some tips to help you write content that converts users.
Know your audience
Understand your target audience’s demographics, preferences, pain points, and interests. Conduct surveys, analyze customer feedback, and use analytics tools to gain insights into your audience.
Additionally, consider creating detailed buyer personas that represent your ideal customers. Customize your content to meet their different needs and challenges.
Understand the customer journey
Craft content that caters to each stage of the buyer’s journey: Awareness, Consideration, Decision. Awareness-stage content should educate, consideration-stage content should provide solutions, and decision-stage content should encourage action.
Compelling headlines and introductions
Create attention-grabbing headlines that evoke curiosity, offer a solution, or highlight a benefit. Use power words to trigger emotions.
Start with an impactful introduction that addresses the reader’s problem or question. Follow this by presenting the value they will gain by reading further.
Valuable and relevant content
With millions of content pieces being published daily, creating one that stands out can be challenging. The key is to offer valuable information, tips, guides, and insights related to your industry. Position yourself as an authority in your field. Get a full website redesign with these content tips:
- Address common problems your audience faces and provide practical solutions. Show them how your product or service can help.
- Use simple and concise language. Avoid jargon or overly technical terms unless your audience is well-versed in them.
- Implement persuasion techniques such as storytelling, social proof, and testimonials to build trust and credibility.
- Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings for easy readability. Online readers tend to scan content, so make it scannable.
- Include images, videos, infographics, and other visuals to break up the text and make your content more engaging.
Be clear with your calls-to-action (CTAs)
Clearly state what action you want the reader to take. Whether it’s making a purchase, subscribing, or contacting you, use persuasive language for your CTAs.
Specify the action, such as “Buy Now,” “Subscribe Today,” or “Get Your Free Trial.” Use words that create a sense of urgency, such as “Limited Time Offer,” “Act Now,” or “Last Chance.” Urgency encourages visitors to take immediate action to avoid missing out.
Place CTAs strategically within your content, especially at the end, when the reader is primed to take action. It’s also important to make your CTA visually appealing. Using contrasting colors makes your CTA stand out from the rest of the content. A button with a vibrant color draws attention.
This is one of the reasons to hire professional web designers for a full website redesign this New Year. If you have an existing website, a website refresh will benefit your business. These pros aren’t only updated with the latest web design trends but also knowledgeable about the best practices that drive clicks and conversions.
Develop or refine your SEO strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) makes your website more visible and attractive to search engines like Google. When people search for products, services, or information related to your business, you want your website to appear on the first page of SERPs.
SEO techniques help your site rank higher in these results, making it easier for potential customers to find you. Start with on-page optimization by making sure your page titles, meta descriptions, and alt text are all updated and relevant. This will help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Aside from on-page optimization, consider the basics of technical SEO, such as internal linking and site speed. Even by simply fixing broken links, you will improve your user experience and SEO in the process. With site speed, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix any issues slowing down your website.
Keyword research is also a significant aspect of SEO. When you create a blog post, include keywords in your content. These keywords trigger online search engines and help your business rank higher in search directories when customers look for you on sites like Google, Yelp, and Bing.
Review your competitor’s websites to see what terms they use in their content, or avail of our SEO services to put their power to work for your business. Additionally, you can take advantage of our pay-per-click (PPC) services to reach more potential customers online.
Promote your content on social media
Use social media to attract more visitors to your website and measure the effectiveness of your posts with online analytics tools to see what messages best connect with your customers.
So, how do you get started on social media marketing? Let these steps guide you.
- Know your audience. Research their demographics, interests, online behavior, and preferences. Tailor your existing content to resonate with your audience.
- Choose the right platforms. You don’t need to have a presence on every social media platform out there. Select social media platforms that align with your target market and business goals.
- Facebook – Wide demographic, suitable for various content types.
- Instagram – Visual content, popular among younger demographics.
- Twitter – Real-time updates and engagement, suitable for concise messaging.
- LinkedIn – Professional networking, ideal for B2B businesses.
- Pinterest – Visual discovery, suitable for lifestyle and product-related businesses.
- TikTok – Short-form videos, popular among younger audiences.
- Plan a content calendar. Determine your posting schedule, considering the best times for your target audience.
- Create engaging content. Craft high-quality, visually appealing, and informative content. Use images, videos, infographics, and compelling captions to capture attention.
- Use user-generated content (UGC) to build trust and authenticity. UGC enhances your SEO strategy and influences your customers’ purchasing decisions.
- Engage with your audience. Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions. Interacting with your audience humanizes your brand.
- Don’t forget the hashtags. Research and use relevant hashtags to increase the discoverability of your posts. Use industry-specific, trending, and branded hashtags.
Stay active across online channels
Make sure your website visuals (e.g., images, videos, logos) are consistent with your current branding. Updating your visuals will solidify your brand identity and make your website more appealing.
Stay consistent with your social media and email campaigns to be relevant to customers. This includes your core visual elements, color palette, and even your logo!
If you’re planning to tweak your company logo or make a new one, you can make a professional-looking logo with our easy-to-use logo generator. No design experience is necessary!
Secure your website
Keeping your website safe is really important for protecting your business and customers. One simple but important step is to add an SSL certificate. SSL certificates not only protect information in and out your website, but it also shows your site is trustworthy.
Another helpful step is to set up two-factor authentication, which prevents others from accessing your site without permission. But to protect your site even more, you can check out Web.com’s security tools to keep your business and customers safer.
Find success in the new year and beyond
It’s going to be a great year for your business—and it begins with your website. By refreshing your website, you’ll improve user experience, SEO, website’s security, and brand presence for a competitive edge.
At Web.com, we’ll help you redesign your website and gain the positive online presence you deserve. Whether you want to build a website, add eCommerce to your site, or enhance your online marketing with a website redesign, we have the expertise and resources to grow your customer base and make it happen.
Get ahead of your competitors and take the lead in 2025. Let Web.com help you create a website that drives results with our pro redesign, PPC services, logo generator, and security solutions. Get started today!
