We used to quip: “We’ll have a website redesign every seven years, whether we need to or not”. We liked to think that what we did for our clients should speak for us. We know better than that now. Like a scruffy barber, it’s just not a good look. So now we live in state of low-level anxiety: “Is it time for our website redesign yet?”.
So we thought we’d give it a bit of thought, maybe set our minds at rest … and share our thoughts with you.
We’re nice like that.
Table of Contents
So Where to Start?
As with any question about a website – what is the website there for? We host sites which are literally nothing more than an endpoint to prove a company exists – clearly they neither need or want a website redesign that often. But if you want ongoing engagement, returning visitors and conversions, a potential website redesign should always be somewhere in your thinking.
Why Redesign Your Site?
1. Changes in your Users’ Technology.
Google Analytics will give you an accurate breakdown of what type of devices your visitors are using to access your site (if you don‘t have Analytics installed, sack your developers and contact Little Fire). These stats change over time – mobile screen sizes are now typically far bigger then they were five years ago. Your site will probably be mobile friendly by now (if not, sack your developers and contact Little Fire) but ask yourself: “Has my site kept up?”.
Just because your site looks good on your phone, it doesn’t mean it will for your new visitors. Tools like BrowserStack will let you see exactly how your website looks on devices you don’t own. If your site looks duff on the device your visitors are using, it’s time for a website redesign.
2. Business Changes
If you’re halfway serious about running and building your company, you’ll be refining your operations and your message all the time. It is easy to let your website lag behind. If you were a garage and you want to start servicing liveried fleets, you need to let the website know.
Otherwise how will those fleet managers know.
Content goes stale. The very process of working on a website helps you refine what you want to say – the oldest pages on your site are unlikely to really represent what you want to say now. Website redesign or not, you should review those pages.
3. Branding Changes
Tweaked your logo? Updated your literature? Coherent consistent branding is a powerful aid to recognition and trust.
Again technology has moved on. A good web designer should be able to make your website match your current brand guidelines exactly.
4. Performance Improvements
What was fast two years ago is unlikely to be considered zippy now.
A website redesign is a good time to look at the wider environment in which the website runs. Can you get a better deal on your hosting? Or, because cheaper is rarely better, can you get better hosting for the same money. A newer server is likely to be faster than an older one.
Improvements in CSS and image formats mean your new site could and should be zippier than ever before. Is a fast website important? Only if you want lots of traffic, good search results and lots of conversions.
A website redesign is also an excellent opportunity to ensure you are using the best platform. For different reasons, we have moved Shopify customers to WooCommerce and WooCommerce customers to Shopify. In the end, both sites were better suited to their newer environment.
5. Changing User Expectations
User habits change, logging in with one’s Google account is far more commonplace than it used to be – many users expect it (including us) for many services. Tools and widgets evolve all the time – price comparison, product comparison, wish lists and so on. All of these can and do drive user engagement or smooth the user’s journey from visitor to customer.
So Do You Need A Website Redesign Now?
In all honesty, without looking, we cannot say. But, as a business owner, it should be on your radar somewhere.
Things to Ask Yourself
- Is there something from which you can take ‘inspiration’? Keep an eye on your competitors – even if you’re sitting still, it’s unlikely that they are. Look at what they’re dong and how their site is developing.
- Has some other site got something you’d really like on yours?
- Are you finding your site clunky, are things that used to work but now don’t?
- Has your site stopped generating leads? A website redesign can change that, and quickly. Check out our recent case study for Wall Nuts.
- Does your website still represent what you‘ want to you’re trying to achieve?
So What Should You Do Now?
You should stop and seriously look at your site, take a notepad. If you can think of two or more reasons why your site might need development, you should book a website review with us.
We don’t charge. We’ll give you our honest opinion and the benefit of our expertise. Even if you don’t opt for a full website redesign, you’ll be the better for it.