What to Consider When Redesigning Your Website
Having a professionally-designed and developed website is good for business, but an old website may be sending the wrong message about your company or just not generating the results that a newer website could. A website redesign can help accelerate your business growth and generate new customers but here are a few things to consider before you get started...
Establish Your Goals
First and foremost, you need to do is figure out what you want to get out of redesigning your website. A "better website" doesn't actually mean anything because "better" is subjective. Do you want to generate more leads? Do you want to grow your subscriber list? Are you trying to make information or content easier to find? Do you need to showcase your portfolio? Whatever your goals may be, your website redesign should be based around achieving those goals - not just looking pretty.
What are Your Competitors Doing?
A good way to get a sense of how you should design your website is to look at what your competitors are doing. Go to each of their websites and write down what you like and don't like about it - from style to functionality. Think from your customers perspective and try to make a purchase, find information, or whatever your goal for your customer is. Keep in mind, though, that you don't know how much thought your competitors have put into their website. Something that looks good may not actually work well at achieving its intended purpose.
Which Website Features are Must-Haves Versus Like-to-Haves?
Like any other business decisions, you need to come up with a budget for your website redesign. Your website is an investment, and it doesn't make sense to spend an exorbitant amount before you have the analytics to make an informed decision. Sometimes, opting for an affordable website option or choosing to build an MVP website (minimum viable product) that you can build on is actually a better business decision. When you're looking at different features, such as live chat, customer portals, case studies, integrations with third-party platforms, etc., think about how far those features will get you towards achieving your goals. If you're not sure of the benefit, you can always wait and consider it for the next iteration of your website.
Think About Your Ideal Website Design
While your website should be practical and work towards your goals, the website design is crucial and has an impact. It's an important part of your brand image - just like your logo, your trade show booth, your office decor are all parts of your brand image. Do you like what you have currently, and does it fit with your brand? What imagery will go on your website? Do you need to hire a professional photographer, or will stock photos do? These are all elements to consider for your website design.
Don't Forget About SEO
You also need to consider SEO for your website redesign. There's no point in having a website that could help you sell something if no one can actually find your website in search engines. This might include optimizing the keywords on your existing pages or adding a blog or other content that will expand your reach in search engines. Your website redesign should also take into account the latest technical SEO principles such as mobile compatibility and loading times.
To learn more about what goes into redesigning your website and the options for your budget, contact L7 Creative today.