Your website was created to be your company’s best and most useful digital asset. When it was born, you made a fuss over it. You trained it to generate leads, promote your brand, and act as your virtual storefront. Now that it’s gotten older, though, it may be looking and acting tired, slacking off instead of keeping up with current trends.
The truth is, as your business and technology continue to evolve, your website might start to look dated. And, just as you invest in your company’s human assets, the time and attention you devote to nurturing your site can mean the difference between a website that works and one that wows.
If you’re ready to ensure that your website is the best sales tool in your arsenal, then there’s a good chance it’s time for a website redesign. You may already have started thinking about a website redesign project plan and wondering, “Do I really need to redesign my site right now? We just launched it a few years ago.” Let’s look at the factors that determine the optimal time to update.
Your company’s website should be viewed as an ongoing project and not a one-time investment. Its success relies on a continuous procedure that needs edits, updates, major revisions, and maintenance — which is why it should be redesigned periodically.
In fact, you should attempt to redesign and update your website every three years to give it a fresh look and feel. This might seem daunting; however, nothing is more detrimental to your website’s mission than the “build it and forget it” approach.
The decision to redesign your website must be determined first and foremost by your business goals, but a variety of factors can play into the redesign timeline. Consider redesigning your website if any of the following reasons apply:
Some designs seemed like great ideas at the time, but trends change, and those splash pages and flash intros on your website need to be retired. The design elements present on your site should always provide value to the visitor. If they don’t, send them to the virtual trash can.
It’s time to plan a redesign project if the end of your content management system (CMS) life cycle is coming up within one year. Examples include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Concrete 5.
Be on the lookout for updates to the coding and your hosting server. Both of these are indicators that it’s time to redesign.
Have you updated your brand? Do you plan to? New logos and website color schemes must be reflected on a redesigned site. If your business starts offering new products or e-commerce, it’s time to consider a website update. New business processes and added features (such as secured logins) also play a role.
Your website should carry out marketing goals and reflect the objectives used to accomplish those goals. It might be in your company’s best interest to personalize content based on viewer preferences. Another big factor is search engine optimization (SEO), as algorithms are always being updated. Your site should also be optimized for any device, to display smart content, and include ways to connect with your company on social media.
When you update content so that it’s reflective of what visitors need and are looking for, you can focus on the primary mission of any website — to generate traffic and capture your target audience.
A better user experience is at the heart of a website that drives more traffic with smart digital tactics. How can you ensure that your site has the key features of an optimized, user-friendly website? Is it one that lays the groundwork for marketing success and checks all the boxes pertaining to impeccable design and the right internal mechanics?
At InVerve Marketing & Web, we developed a free e-book, “The Game Plan for a Winning Website,” to help you get the most out of your online presence. Before meeting with a web development team, we invite you to download and take a look through our visual website guide here:
Whether you need a simple website refresh or a complex redesign, we cover the key components you need to score big on your digital marketing.
One of the simplest ways to determine the effectiveness of your website is to use InVerve Marketing & Web’s website grader to perform a free website audit. Within seconds, you’ll learn what factors could be helping or hurting your website, and you’ll get helpful analytics and tips you can use to improve your online performance.
See how your site performs by running it through our website grader.
Once you’ve taken stock of your online presence, you may realize that you need a total website overhaul. However, knowing where to start with your website redesign project plan can be a bit like navigating your way through an unfamiliar city without a GPS. Often, the best place to begin is simply to ask the right questions.
Some of the common questions about website redesign include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:
One of the biggest myths in the online world is that a website redesign will automatically bring in new customers. What’s more, a redesign of a website without a proper strategy in place can actually have the opposite effect — it can drive people away from your site!
In addition, a key truth is that no matter how pretty your website design is, people won’t come to your site if your content isn’t up to par. So, before you redesign your website, you need to ask yourself: Is this a website that people would want to visit, regardless of its aesthetic appeal or lack thereof?
Let’s say that your content is where it should be, but you're not getting the results you want from your online efforts. Prior to your website overhaul, ask yourself the following questions:
When you’re ready to launch your website redesign project, InVerve Marketing & Web is here to put our decades of experience to work for you. We combine marketing know-how with successful web design experience to give your website the best of both worlds — and the care and attention it deserves.
Our customers love our detailed approach to website development and we’re confident you will, too. You can count on us to give your site the impeccable design to match your brand’s personality and the right internal mechanics to make it successful. In the meantime, don’t forget to take advantage of our free online resources, like our downloadable e-book, “The Game Plan for a Winning Website,” or our website grader to run a fast and helpful website audit.
We’re excited to partner with you, from our initial brainstorming session to the big reveal of your freshly redesigned website! It all begins with your company’s vision, plans, and marketing goals. This is your baby, after all. We’re here to make it shine.
Contact us today to set up a website redesign consultation.
Ready to get started?