This article is the best place to start your website redesign journey. This is a complex project that requires meticulousness and expertise. Whether it’s just a plethora of minor fixes or something bigger that warrants a website redesign, a web design company would be a great option to get a brand-new website for your business. In general, following the steps in this article will get you a basic overview of what you should look for in your website redesign project. Yes, you can do it on your own, or you can ask for advice from a website design company. Whichever option you choose, a website redesign will be worth every ounce of effort you put into it.
What is a website redesign?
Website redesign means rearranging or even changing entire aspects of your website. It’s different from giving it some cosmetic upgrades. Website redesign is more about large-scale changes, while cosmetic improvements include changing images, colors, logos, etc. During redesign, the website design gets a complete overhaul. There are notable changes in the code and visual elements. It can also include new UI elements and UX optimization.
Restructuring layouts, improving website navigation, revamping color schemes, and so on – this is what you can expect from a web design agency when you order your website to be redesigned. Redesign can make your website faster, optimized for mobile devices, and SEO-friendly. Overall, a website redesign is a step that should be planned and carefully considered. When done right, your brand-new website can unlock a lot of new features for improving online user experience and help you sell better.
Why is it important?
There may be several reasons for redesigning your website. The first one is a drop in traffic. While there are a lot of potential fixes for that one, taking a complex approach in the form of a website redesign can eliminate all issues with one shot. Rebranding is another reason why you may want to opt for redesign. We’ve already mentioned why design is a crucial part of any successful business. Sometimes companies and brands outgrow their websites, and there comes a need for a new one. In this case, web development companies skilled in this type of work are the best places to get help from.
Sometimes it just happens that your website is missing some of the features that you didn’t want to have during the development process. Thanks to website redesign, you can get it done without developing an entirely new website. Even if there are smaller issues such as poor user experience or unoptimized images, bundling all issues together to work on them at once is what your website redesign will look like. You can do it yourself or ask for help at a professional web design studio. Either way, we’ll outline the process of redesigning a website so you can see if you’re up to the task. If not, we’ll have a nice solution for you below that will work like magic.
Where do you begin?
Here’s a simplified version of a website redesign plan upon which you can create your own strategy for revamping your website.
- Take a look at the website’s current performance. Without this step, you’ll be wandering around without knowing what’s worth upgrading. Metrics such as total monthly visitors, number of sales, time spent on pages, etc. are important for evaluating how your website is doing. Performing this sort of analysis on a regular basis is another pro tip that will help you keep things fresh and always on point.
- Outline your objectives. If the first item on this list was about knowing where you’re moving from, then the second one is for determining your destination. What are your needs regarding your website? Do you want to sell more effectively? Or do you want people to stay on your website for as long as possible and read through all articles? Anyways, it’s all up to you, but having this box checked is crucial for redesigning a website.
- See if your brand messaging is clear. It’s important to ensure that once you have a fresh new website, your brand communication is up and running. Keeping your brand in mind when creating content and redesigning websites is a sure way to let people know who you are and what you’re doing. Without this kind of foundation that makes the brand unique, you risk being outplayed by other companies that put a lot of time and effort into promoting their brands.
- Keep in mind why you’ve built a website in the first place. Always remember that it wasn’t just for your business. It was for your customers. And constantly thinking about it helps you see things from the perspective of your clients, which makes it easier to find new ways to keep them around and influence their online behavior. After all, your website redesign journey should be aimed at creating a more comfortable environment for people that trust in your brand. It’s the whole point of building websites that not only serve your business but also benefit people in various ways.
- Keep an eye out for the competition. It can be a bad thing – to obsess over how other companies are doing online. But this time we would advise you to take a look at other websites in your industry. When you visit these websites, see them through the eyes of their potential customers. Notice every little thing that turns you off and remember what you like. When done repetitively with lots of websites, you’ll spot areas for improvement right away. After that, implementing this knowledge to your own website is just a matter of time.
- Don’t forget about responsiveness. In the era where more than half of Internet users prefer mobile devices, not having a responsive design is like shooting yourself in the leg. Web design companies all over the world offer their help for developing awesome websites that look good on all devices – be it desktop, tablet, or smartphone. Responsive design and loading speed have a say in whether a visitor stays on your website or goes somewhere else. Even if you had a mobile-optimized website beforehand, don’t forget about responsiveness during the redesign process.
- The last thing to remember is to keep your grand plan in mind. Oftentimes the big picture can be lost under the lines of code and heaps of redesign efforts. However, being true to your vision and always thinking about your brand as a whole keeps you centered. Remember that every element that you try to enhance during a website redesign should fit into a bigger branding or marketing strategy. This way you’ll develop a comprehensive approach that benefits your business and the people you’ve started it for.
Conclusion
Website redesign is both a process and a journey. It combines the elements of analyzing the starting point, developing a thorough action plan, and creativity with the imagination needed for taking your web presence to the next level. It’s a path worth taking though, as it has a great deal of potential to benefit your brand and create an online environment that people find easy to use. Whether it’s just for the sake of adding a bunch of features or revamping the whole website design, redesign takes a lot of skill and attention to detail.
This is why we’re happy to offer you our help. Ubunzo is a passionate design studio with extensive knowledge of web design and web development. Whatever you need in your website redesign project, we can make it happen. Please feel free to reach out to us to share your vision. We’ll get it done.
