What Are the Signs You Need A Website Redesign?

In the ever changing face of the internet, where the rate of evolution moves consistently at a rapid pace, we continue to hit new tipping points that require solutions to new problems in the way we experience the web. Getting a website makeover addresses one of these problems, and with the big push in technology towards the mobile market for example, a website redesign becomes not just a cosmetic luxury, but an essential to your business. So what are the signs you need a website redesign?

Well…how easy is it to navigate throughout your website to access information? Not just on a standard desktop or laptop, but also on multiple mobile devices? By taking a good analysis of your website, tell us…how well is it achieving what you’d like it to achieve? These are just a few questions to ask when considering a website redesign. So let’s go deeper and dive into a strategic checklist to conclude whether or not your business website needs a redesign.

Is your website mobile friendly?

With sales for mobile devices exceeding your standard desktops, it’s imperative that your customers are capable of viewing your business website on a mobile device. Classic websites are too small in scale and hard to navigate through on the small screens of mobile devices. If your website is not mobile friendly, you increase the chances of users leaving your website, and surfing another that is optimized for a mobile environment. Another important note…if you are optimizing your website for good search visibility, having a ‘mobile responsive’ designed website helps search engines to crawl and index your web pages, making them more likely to show up in relevant search queries. Since a mobile responsive website enables your webpage to adapt to multiple devices, there is SEO value with having the same URL and XHTML page viewed from your browser, when requested from a cellphone, or a laptop.

Does your website look dated?

In a competitive market, it’s important that your website remains current in its look, feel and functionality.  It’s not to your advantage to have clients looking at the same web presence and the same content over and over for several consecutive years. Outdated information and a dated image can convey a message to your online customers. If information is not current with the growth of your business, and if content is dated, it may discourage return visits to your website; in a case where your website lacks mobile responsiveness, it can actually discourage new visits as well and increase the chances of users leaving your website. Evaluate how your website looks, and ask yourself if what’s presented online really captures the essence of your business in a professional way that leaves a good 1st impression for prospective business.

Do you have the ability to update your own content?

Static websites are a thing of the past, and in today’s market, it’s of great benefit that you have the flexibility to manage your own content without the need of a web developer. Having a content management system in place gives you the ability to update and publish your own content, while reducing the cost associated with maintenance as a result of less dependency on a web developer.

What is your competition looking like lately?

Do an analysis and see what your top competitor’s websites are doing. Evaluate what you see working effectively and what you see as areas that are not working or could use major improvement. Naturally, you will want your website’s presence to rise above and stand apart from the competition.

What is your website content strategy like?

With today’s push to provide creative and unique content, you’ll want to ask yourself …how helpful is your website information? How accessible is it? And how relevant is it based on the product and services you provide? The key to a good content strategy is to build and maintain relationships with your online customers by communicating your business product and services in a variety of creative and effective ways. For example, videos and consistent blogging that provides up-to-date, market-relative, helpful information to your customers. It’s important that your website brings value to them…both new and existing. If a website user visits you once, but doesn’t find your information useful, chances are they won’t return to your website. The key to any effective content strategy is making your website and its information all about YOUR CUSTOMER, and not about you.

What IS currently working on your website?

In your evaluation, take note of what is actually working on your website when planning a redesign. If there are areas of your website that customers visit regularly and if there is content on your site that they find useful …keep those things. Accentuate the positives and build on them for the future.

What’s NOT working for you on your website?

In your evaluation, ask yourself the following questions:

• How easily can online customers access the relevant content they need?
• Is your website’s navigational architecture easy to follow? Or is content nested within content, creating confusion to your customers and even to yourself when browsing your site?
• Is your information current?
• How long or quickly does it take for your web pages to load?
• How well is your site positioning in Google and Bing Search Engines?
• Are you getting good results and qualified leads from your website?

Is your website visible to Search Engines?

If you were to search a product, service or even your company name via Google, Bing or any other major search engine … does your website show up on the 1st page of your search results? If not, then it’s critical that your business consider a redesign to include a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plan. With the internet now being the 1st place people go to learn more about your business, it’s not hard to understand the significance and the importance for having a good SEO plan in place for your website. At JS Interactive, our certified SEO expert is trained and continuously up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies involved with Google, Bing, etc. and with the constant changes in Google algorithmns, we are constantly at work maintaining and growing your website positioning and performance in all major search engines.

These basic questions can really help you to determine whether or not your company needs a website makeover. To help you better understand some of these questions, you may also want to read why Web Analytics are important »