Most things need maintenance to thrive: a car, a marriage, and a company website. We can’t give an opinion on the first two because of legal reasons but we definitely can form a discussion around the latter. Depending on the product and industry, companies might have to do it more often or more seldom. However, a full website redesign should be approached with care because it is a complex process and can easily turn from a dream project into a horror scene, written by Stephen King. In today’s article, we’ll talk about the importance of a website redesign, how one is typically conducted, and the benefits it holds. As usual, go and grab that favorite drink of yours and let’s dive in.
Is redesigning your website a good idea?
Gone are the days when a business card solely represented your company. Although it’s nice from time to time to give/receive a beautifully crafted business card, print has almost become obsolete in today’s digital era. Today, a company’s website more or less acts as a “business card”. It’s the first thing potential clients or partners interact with and making a flying first impression is crucial. A positive interaction might lead to a new client and a successful sale whereas a negative one will definitely decimate the chances of the latter happening.
It’s safe to say that each one of us has had a terrifying encounter with a poorly designed website, and we can all agree that it’s not fun. A whopping 88% of online customers are less likely to jump back to a website, which gave them a bad experience. Also, 38% of users will likely close the tab if the design of the website is lackluster.
Freshening up your website is most certainly a good idea. The question of the matter is how can you tell if it’s time to redesign yours? A rule of thumb is to spruce things up every 2-3 years just because 3 digital years equate to an average human lifespan. However, answering a couple of questions can also give you a decent idea if a redesign is due:
- Outdated design: To quote the late and great Mac Miller “It ain’t 2009 no more”. If you haven’t done any changes since then, maybe it’s time you do. Apart from being visually unappealing, a visually outdated website can also lead to decreased engagement and conversions.
- Poor User Experience: We’ll talk more in-depth about this later. For now, we’ll just point out that If users are struggling to navigate the website or finding it difficult to access the information they need, it may be time for a redesign.
- Not Mobile-Friendly: Even if we hate to admit it, we all are extremely dependent on our personal mobile devices. If a website is not optimized for mobile devices, it can negatively impact the user experience and search engine rankings. If yours isn’t – check the front door, a redesign is knocking.
- Low Conversion Rates: If a website is not converting visitors into customers, a redesign might be a good idea. It can help to improve the user experience, address issues that may be hindering conversions, and ultimately lead to higher conversion rates.
- Slow Load Times: If a website takes too long to load, it can lead to frustration and cause users to abandon the site, which is exactly the opposite result a business would want. A redesign can help with that and can have a positive impact on the user experience and search engine rankings
The typical steps involved in a website redesign.
As we mentioned earlier, a redesign aims to enhance a website’s usability, aesthetics, and overall performance. It’s a comprehensive process that involves a team of professionals working together to create an improved and effective website that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives. However, it can typically be broken down into several steps, which can significantly simplify it:
- Assessment and planning: This involves an evaluation of the existing website’s strengths and weaknesses, a review of user feedback, and an analysis of user behavior metrics. Based on this, the website redesign team will plan the redesign, taking into account the site’s goals, target audience, and industry trends.
- Define requirements and objectives: This stage involves outlining the goals, objectives, and requirements of the redesign project. This includes creating a detailed list of desired features, functionality, and design elements.
- Content audit and strategy: The content audit and strategy phase involves analyzing the existing content, identifying what needs to be updated, added, or removed, and defining a content strategy that aligns with the site’s goals and objectives.
- Information architecture and wireframing: In this phase, the redesign team creates a site map, defines the site’s structure and hierarchy, and develops wireframes or low-fidelity prototypes to visualize the new layout and functionality.
- Visual design and branding: This step involves creating a visual design that aligns with the brand’s identity and conveys the intended message. The redesign team will develop a style guide, including typography, color palettes, and imagery to ensure a consistent look and feel across the site.
- Development and testing: This phase involves building the website using the chosen content management system (CMS), programming languages, and other tools. Testing is performed to ensure that the site functions correctly.
- Launch and post-launch support: Once the site is built and tested, it is launched. The redesign team will continue to monitor the site’s performance, make necessary updates, and provide ongoing maintenance and support.
How does a website redesign affect user experience (UX)?
From attracting and retaining visitors to driving conversions, and achieving its marketing and business objectives a freshly designed website comes with numerous benefits. We’ll solely focus on user experience, for its enormous driving force behind successful customer interactions. А website redesign can help to create a more user-friendly site, leading to better engagement, longer site visits, and increased conversions. By addressing common pain points and improving the overall experience, a website redesign can help businesses achieve their goals and improve their online presence. Here are some ways a website redesign can affect UX:
- Improved Navigation: A website redesign can improve the site’s navigation, making it easier for users to find what they are looking for. This can include simplifying the menu structure, adding clear call-to-action buttons, and making it easier to search for content.
- Enhanced Visual Design: A redesign can refresh the site’s visual design, making it more appealing and engaging for users. This can include improving the site’s layout, using more visual elements like images and videos, updating the color scheme, and adding various interactions.
- Increased Responsiveness: A website redesign can improve the site’s responsiveness across different devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and desktops. This can ensure that users have a consistent and optimized experience, regardless of the device they are using.
- Faster Load Times: A redesign can improve the site’s load times, which is critical for user experience. Slow load times often lead them to abandon the site. A redesign can address issues like large file sizes, unoptimized images, and bloated code to improve load times.
- Streamlined Checkout Process: For e-commerce sites, a redesign can improve the checkout process, making it more streamlined and efficient. This can include simplifying the checkout form, adding multiple payment options, and providing clear information on shipping and returns.
Closing lines
A website redesign is the process of improving or revamping a website’s design and functionality to enhance its usability, aesthetics, and overall performance. It can be critical to a company’s online success and is something that businesses should consider investing in. A full redesign takes a lot of resources but sometimes small tweaks and nudges can also do the trick. Before committing to a redesign, make sure carefully evaluated the current website’s status and adjust it according to the new demands.
