Planning Your First Web ReDesign? Our Ultimate Do's And Don't's

Are you starting to lay tracks for your new webpage?

No matter what business you’re in, an effective website can help you to grow in popularity and revenue- so it’s critical that everything is just right. There are plenty of different approaches and avenues that you can explore, so that can make picking the right one can be difficult, and an poorly constructed website can do serious damage to your brand. Follow our list of do’s and don’t’s, to keep you from making any big mistakes.

Do: It for the Right Reasons

A website redesign is an exciting time, and there are a few key indicators that your web page may be in need of an overhaul. If any of these sound familiar, then it’s a good idea to reassess your current website.

• Your technology or content management system (CMS) is dated. This is going to hold back your website, as well as indirectly suggest to your online audience that your business doesn’t care about it’s online presence, or simply is being left behind. Some businesses haven’t updated their systems or software since their website was conceived, and this can mean limited access to the fantastic new features and extras that many websites now offer. Find a content management system which routinely checks for updates and is easy to implement, and don’t be afraid to explore new options if you feel that your CMS isn’t the best it could be.

• Your web design is old, and not in the ‘retro’ way. Even if your CMS is up to date, your web design might be full of boxy graphics, visually assaulting colour palettes, or confusing formats. The kind of damage this can do isn’t limited to your website, it can damage your entire brand, so now is your chance to clear the slate and start again.
• Dysfunctional with phones and devices. With 80% of internet users now walking around with their smartphones, Google has made it abundantly clear that they want to give their users the most streamlined and effective experience possible- so if your website is not mobile responsive, it definitely needs a makeover.
• Poor conversion rates are a huge indicator that something isn’t quite fitting; the rest of the recipe might seem right, but if your conversions arent there, then your webpage isn’t effective. Simple as that.

Don’t: Do It For These Reasons

• While it might seem like a fun idea, to ‘spring clean’ your online business front and undergo a redesign, if you’re only going for the redesign because you’re becoming bored or impatient, then step away from the keyboard. You might be so familiar with the layout that it’s appearing bland, but wait until your customers feel the same way before making any sweeping changes
• Seen a competing business with a super-hip website? If you’re attempting a redesign, with the goal to copy aspects of a competitor then you’re heading for a massive blunder. You operate from completely different brands, with different markets and positioning, with countless other varying factors- celebrate your differences by solidifying your own personal brand, and never try to mimic the design of your competitors.

Do: Make Clear Pathways To Your Defined Goals

You’ll need to start with an honest evaluation of your current web performance, and use this to determine how you’d like your new web page to perform by comparison. This will help you to come up with the best ways for you to achieve this, and it will give you a great point to measure your future performance from. Observe your sales figures, web analytics, and other metrics, and do your research about:

• Your current monthly visitor rates
• Where they come from (PPC campaigns, organic SERP, social media, etc)
• What percentage turn into leads, and, subsequently, customers.

Don’t: Forget To Protect Your Assets

Now that you’ve established your reasoning and your method for web design, you probably think you’re ready to go- but don’t go throwing the baby out with the bathwater. There are actually many hidden ways that your web redesign could damage your results if you don’t take the time to find your online assets, and safely protect them. These could be your great content, your keywords, your conversion tools, or any inbound links- anything which helps make your website more visible to your prospective market, or to help them become conversions.

Do: Create A Realistic Budget

A budget is an important part to starting any web redesign project plan, and this is especially true for a business web redesign, where bottom line always matters. Your budget will give you an open plan of your process, and can help you to establish a realistic expectation.

Don’t: Try Cutting Corners on Important Investments

Depending on factors such as the size and features of your website, the costs can fluctuate, so it can be tempting to take shortcuts through important stages. But by attempting to ‘save money’ on certain aspects, you could set your overall project back, waste money on an inferior product, and have a finished result that’s nowhere near as powerful as it could be. If you’re choosing to hire web redesign services, find an affordable agency with a proven track record. While there are valuable freelancers out there, often a successful freelance web designer will eventuate into operating their own ad agency with employees, and will provide services to a list of local clients, with relatively low overheads. As a comprehensive team with a reputation at stake, the project is usually completed efficiently, and with professionalism, while a freelancer is more difficult to select without truly knowing the value of their work. It’s important to be prepared to invest in your website, so you assess all the options before you hire your team.

Do: Play A Role

This is your website, so offer your feedback, industry knowledge, and enthusiasm to your team. Your brand awareness and knowledge will be a supporting factor for your online marketing company, and will invigorate their efforts to culminate in a more fantastic result. If you sit in the backseat the whole way, you might not know the direction your project is headed until it’s too late.

Don’t: Try Pull All The Strings

While this may be a great time for you to offer your web redesign tips, or to offer input, don’t micro-manage the project. After all, since you hired them to do the job, you should be able to have faith in their abilities.

A web redesign is a time-consuming job, and the product will be imperative to a successful online strategy. If you’re planning your first redesign, talk to Dilate Digital and ask how we can help. We’re a Perth based digital marketing and advertising agency, with specialist experience in SEO services, graphic design, digital content and copywriting, and Adwords campaign management.