How to redesign a website

Decreasing traffic after months or years of publishing a website is a common problem for small businesses. It’s frustrating because you know a redesign could boost your business, but where do you even begin? 

The good news is redesigning your site doesn’t have to feel like a daunting process anymore. With the right plan and strategy, you can turn your website into a powerful tool for success. In this article, we’ll go through the website redesign process.

What is website redesign? 

A website redesign goes beyond updating images and colors on an existing website. It’s the process of reimagining your impact online and improving its user experience. 

Redesigning your website can come in different levels. It can be a simple rebranding or a complete rebuild. 

Rebranding your website means updating the overall feel of your website while keeping the content in place. It’s common for websites that want to change their aesthetics or want to fit the current trends. 

Rebuilding your website, on the other hand, is a more extensive process. It includes updating your business strategy, content management system, and visual aspects. It also involves optimizing site speed and other technical aspects of performance, such as search engine optimization.

Why redesigning your website matters 

Technology and customer preferences evolve over time. Websites that once felt fresh can quickly feel outdated. Redesigning your website maintains a modern and competitive edge.  

It gives you an opportunity to align your website with current site trends and best SEO practices, ensuring you remain relevant and visible in search engines. 

A well-executed website redesign can enhance your brand identity, credibility, and user experience, converting site visitors into loyal customers.

When should you redesign a website? 

Redesigning a website can be time-consuming. So, deciding the appropriate time to do it is essential. Here are some signs that might mean you need to consider a website redesign.

Design is outdated

A dated website can give the impression of a stagnant business. If you notice that your website navigation or visual brand identity starts feeling outdated, consider redesigning your website. 

Here are common signs that your website is outdated. 

• Visitors find your website’s navigation challenging. 

• Your website contains outdated information. 

• It’s text-heavy and lacks visual content. 

• Irrelevant search results. 

• It doesn’t translate well in devices beyond desktop computers. 

Updating your design has a big impact on the user experience.

Poor UX reviews 

Think about your customers and take a good look at their experience with your site. If the user experience (UX) is poor, a revamp is necessary. 

The user interface (UI) plays a key role in your website. The UI refers to the visual elements that visitors interact with on your website, including buttons, menus, and forms. Poorly designed UI can have a significant impact on the UX. 

Examples of poor UX that suggests a website redesign are: 

• Non-responsive design 

• Difficult navigation 

• Confusing layout 

An easy-to-navigate website can foster revisits and word-of-mouth recommendations.

Low conversion rates 

Your website should be a powerful tool to turn visitors into regular customers. But if it’s not doing that, reassess your website. 

Calculating conversion rates is easy. The formula is conversions / number of visitors x 100. 

Common reasons for low conversions are unclear call-to-actions (CTAs) and confusing navigation. These are critical factors for a successful checkout process. Consider enhancing them to improve conversion rate.

Slow load times 

Your customers want a fast-loading website to match their busy schedules. So, when your website faces slow load times, it can be a major throw-off, affecting user experience. 

Websites with large pages may take longer to load.  Large images, heavy scripts, and over complicated code are major contributors of this issue. Additionally, if your website is facing constant downtime, you’ll likely be invisible to your audience. 

Your hosting plan also plays an important role with your website’s performance. Some hosting plans have servers with metered bandwidth. Exceeding the limit may result in slower load time. 

So, consider reevaluating the technology behind your website. If it’s not serving its purpose anymore, maybe it’s time for you to upgrade.

Poor SEO performance 

Your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy and content play a significant role in your website traffic. It ranks your website higher in search results when people look for relevant information on the internet. This means more potential customers will find your site when they Google you, leading to increased organic traffic. 

So, if your site isn’t visible on search engines, it’s due to outdated SEO practices. 

But how do you know that your SEO needs improvement? Here are four signs of inadequate SEO performance. 

• Decline in organic traffic 

• Low conversion rates 

• Low on-page time 

• Low click-through rate 

To evaluate whether your SEO is working well, monitor several metrics using SEO tools and analytics platforms, like Google Analytics.

How to redesign your website in 10 steps 

A successful website redesign project might take a while, and though it may sound intimidating, it’s actually simple once you’ve laid out the steps. Here are ten simple steps to guide you through the redesign process.

1. Analyze your current website

Your current site is already functioning, but it may need improvement in some areas. Analyzing your current website will help you understand whether you need a minor refresh or a full redesign. 

Assess the existing website content on your website. This way, you’ll identify outdated elements driving website visitors away, including text, images, videos, and other design elements. 

Use tools like Google Analytics when gathering data on your website performance. Focus on key metrics like:  

• Web traffic 

• Traffic sources  

• User behavior 

Your analysis will be a solid foundation for your website overhaul.

2. Set a clear goal

Before diving into the redesigning journey, set specific website redesign goals that align with your overall business goals such as  

• Enhancing user experience (UX) 

• Modernizing visual design 

• Updating content 

• Increasing conversion rates 

• Improving analytics and tracking 

A defined website redesign strategy provides a clear path to where you want the redesign project to go.

3. Take a closer look at converting pages

Different website pages have different purposes. Therefore, one page from your website might perform differently from the others. 

For instance, landing pages serve as a guide to checkout. While About Us pages serve as a business background. Your landing page might perform better at converting website visitors to regular customers than your About Us page.  

Identifying high-conversion and high-traffic pages helps you preserve the traffic and link value these pages offer, especially as you progress with the website redesign.

4. Know your audience

Understanding your target audience will inform you about everything from the design elements to the content, ensuring your new site meets your audiences’ expectations. 

Conduct user research to understand the trend among your website visitors. It’ll also give you a better view of their needs and how they interact with your site.

5. Analyze your competitors

A good website redesign strategy includes competitor analysis. Analyzing competitors helps you understand the market’s standards and expectations. 

Examine what well-performing competitors are doing with their websites, especially those performing well in search engines. Analyze their design choices, content, and SEO ranking efforts to identify the gaps in your current website. 

A competitor analysis will also help you spot weaknesses in their sites. This way, you can avoid similar mistakes and capitalize on gaps in their user experience.

6. Analyze keywords

Your search engine optimization efforts are critical to building a successful website. So, evaluate your website’s keywords and determine how well they align with your business. 

You can conduct keyword research to figure out what words and phrases people use when searching online for things related to your business. The results will help you optimize your new web pages with terms your target audience is searching for. 

If SEO isn’t your forte, consider using hiring SEO support as you redesign your website. Professional services that support SEO can help you improve your search engine ranking with no experience and knowledge required on your end.

7. Determine branding

Your website plays a crucial role in selling your brand. So, it’s important to always put out a website that reflects your brand identity. 

If you have an established brand image, consider refining it by incorporating new elements that still align with your core identity. However, if you still need to develop a solid visual identity, this is the perfect time. 

Consider using modern tools like AI logo maker and AI website builder to build a visual identity that aligns with your business. Modern tools like these are time-conserving while ensuring that your website’s design elements, such as font, color scheme, and logo, are cohesive.

8. Draw out your new interface

Once you’ve analyzed everything, it’s time to sketch the new website interface. Take time with this step to translate your idea into tangible design elements. 

Create wireframes or mockups to visualize your desired website layout. Wireframes serve as a general look at your website. It’s not a detailed layout yet. 

Mockups, on the other hand, provide a better idea of the elements that you want to put in your website. Mockups include the color scheme, font, and other visual elements you want to incorporate into your website. 

Focus on creating a user-friendly and intuitive layout. Pay attention to the placement of key elements like website navigation, visual hierarchy, CTAs, and content forms to improve the user journey.

9. Update your layout

Finally, bring the new design to life!

Remember, updating your website goes beyond making your website look good. It’s also about creating a better user experience and brand identity. 

Consider updating your layout with a modern design that works well with various devices. 

Statistics show that 96% of the digital population relies on mobile devices when accessing the internet. So, remember that you should incorporate a responsive web design into your new site.

10. Monitor your redesigned site

After launching your redesigned website, monitor your new changes to keep continuous improvements.  

Compare the new site’s metrics with the previous website. This way, you’ll be able to measure the success of your redesign and identify areas with room for enhancement. 

Monitoring your redesigned site also includes manually checking the website on various devices. Also, check for bugs, performance issues, broken links, form submissions, or usability issues.

DIY vs agency website redesign

You have two options when you redesign your website. Either do it yourself or hire an expert to redesign your website. Both approaches have advantages and drawbacks regarding time, skills needed, support, and cost. Here’s a breakdown.

Time 

Website redesigns can be a long and highly technical process. Doing it yourself requires a larger time investment, especially if you have limited experience. You’ll need to balance learning new skills with running your business. 

Hiring an expert, on the other hand, can save you time. Web designers can quickly assess your needs and deliver a polished site within a set time frame. 

However, hiring a redesign agency needs a lot of trust. You need to be willing to be patient and give the designers the right amount of time to perfect your new site. 

Skills needed 

A website redesign requires skills like web designing, understanding user experience, SEO, and web accessibility. If you believe you possess these skills or have the time to learn the process, doing it yourself is your best option. 

However, individuals who fall short in this area can always hire experts. Hiring an expert provides you with a team that already possesses the necessary skills. They’re able to create a professional and user-friendly website without the steep learning curve. 

Support 

When you DIY, support is limited to what you know and what you can find online. This can be frustrating when facing issues during the redesign process. 

An agency, however, offers extensive support from a team of experts. They can address any problems and ensure the website is running smoothly. 

Plus, most of the time, a website redesign agency will extend its support even after the website redesign project. 

Cost 

Your budget is an important factor in your website redesign project. So, you’ll need to weigh which one can serve its purpose without breaking the bank. 

DIY is generally an affordable option. Although, you may have to pay for additional tools, hosting, and potentially some online courses. 

Hiring a website redesign agency comes with a higher cost. However, it guarantees a professional-quality website that meets your business goals.

Redesign your website with Web.com 

A website redesign can help you stay competitive, improve user experience, and increase conversions. Whether you choose to DIY or hire an expert, a thoughtful redesign can transform your site into a valuable asset for your business. 

Web.com simplifies the redesign process with its AI-powered tools for DIYers and Professional Website Design service for those seeking professional help. Redesign your website with Web.com today and elevate your business to new heights.

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