So your website has been up for a while, and now you’re wondering if it could be better? Is it time to give your website a complete redesign?
There are two schools of thought on website redesigns. There are those people who think fresh design will make all the difference in their business and they can’t wait to get to it. And there are those who view it as a time suck and dread the very thought of it.
The truth of the matter is that it can be both; a potential revenue driver and a potential time suck.
A fresh, current website can increase your sales and the image of your business. Having the latest widgets and gadgets and user interface, makes your company look up to date. It can instill confidence in consumers that you’re a real company, with real products or services to offer.
However, making things pretty for pretty’s sake is not wise business move. Website redesigns take time, and unless you’re tech-savvy, they take money. And, if you’re a small business owner, then both your time and your money are already in high demand.
Here’s a short checklist to determine whether redesigning your website is a smart business move:
1. Upward Mobility
The world is working mobile – is your website? Most consumers are spending some portion of their online time, on mobile. Whether that’s searching for businesses on their smart phones, or working from a tablet. If your site is not mobile responsive, it may be time for a redesign.
A mobile responsive website is a site that looks the same, or similar, regardless of where the site is viewed. That means if your site is viewed from a phone, a tablet, a laptop or a desktop it still looks great. Images are centered. Text is not cut off. Scroll bars work. The site is responsive.
If you’re site is not responsive, it’s time for a redesign. Start by looking for themes that state clearly that they are mobile responsive. If you’re outsourcing the design, include this in the creative brief you give your designer.
2. Failing Functionality
Probably the best reason to consider a redesign is if your site is no longer serving your business needs. Has traffic to your site slowed? Is your bounce rate too high? Is the site converting leads or sales at an acceptable rate?
If your website is not performing, whatever metric you use to measure success, your design may be to blame.
Try a simple home page redesign for starters. This is where you’ll lose most customers. Make sure the home page is clean, easy to read, and that whatever you want visitors to do next is clearly understood, and easy to do.
If you’re trying to collect email addresses to build your subscriber base, make sure your opt-in is “above the fold.” That means that visitors see your call to subscribe without having to scroll down.
If your goal is to make a sale, try split-testing the look and wording of your buy buttons.
Though the look and feel of your website might not be the problem, it is certainly an easier fix than altering your actual product. So start with some simple tweaks and see if you get the results you’re looking for.
3. Retro-Redux
Does your site look outdated? Does it look just plain old? Be honest. There’s a difference between a hip, retro look and design that’s reminiscent of the Brady Bunch. Retro is fine, in fact, it’s kinda cool. Outdated is just plain stale.
Design is subjective, and since you’re the owner of the site, you have the most biased opinion. Start by asking for feedback from friends and associates that you think will give honest answers. Next, start stalking your competitors and see how your site measures up.
If your site looks outdated, you company will also look outdated.
Baby Steps
Don’t forget, you don’t have to do everything at once. If you think it’s time for an update you can take it in steps. Start with a simple update to your header and footer. Then, move on to the pages in order of importance to your business goals; sales pages, landing pages, about pages, followed by secondary stuff.
Just keep in mind what’s most important is that the site best represents your company, and that it serves your company’s needs.
Spencer Frandsen is a digital marketing professional writing on behalf of CCG, a full service Los Angeles digital agency
