People are going online more and more for information, product research, service and so much more. As an outcome, having a high-quality and high-ranking website is more important than ever. If you’re like most businesses, you understand this need to have a strong online presence and a great website to give customers a way to find your products or services and get in touch with you. Despite this understanding, you may have some questions about how to get the most out of your website and what to do if you’re considering a website redesign. We created a short list to help you with this process:
4 questions to ask before you redesign your website.
1. Why do I want a redesign?
There’s a good chance I have to put some money into this redesign project, so it’s important then to have some clarity about what my goals are. Is my intention to rebrand the company altogether or am I just revamping the website? A full rebrand could take months, while a simple content revamp may only take hours or days. And what exactly is the problem I’m trying to fix? Maybe it’s that I’m not gaining traffic, targeting the right personas, or actively engaging customers. Whatever it may be, having a clear strategy in mind from the beginning will help immensely.
2. What are some features of other websites that I like and want to include in my own?
Knowing what companies comparable to mine are doing can help me keep up and strive to get a few steps ahead. Looking to other websites can help me find ideas to adapt and use to suit my brand and vision. Maybe the competition’s websites are more modern, more mobile-friendly, have simpler contact forms, or have a more engaging blog. These are some aspects I can incorporate into my site to capture and engage more users, leading them to choose my business for their consumer needs.
3. How can I keep my audience in mind?
To best improve the website, I have to keep my audience at the forefront of my mind. What do they want when they seek out my services or product – and how can I better help them find it, decide on it, ask questions about it, etc. Things to consider are whether or not my site is easy to navigate, easy to find information about my product or service, and easy for the visitor to opt-in and purchase my product or service. Is the message I’m giving through my site the right message and the best representation of my business? Another way to keep the audience in mind is to find out what they’re like and what they think. I should consider using analytics to pinpoint the kind of content that brings traffic, and where visitors are falling off most. I can also refer to reviews of my site on Google Reviews, Yelp or other similar websites. The suggestions found here can help me see what pages rank best, what keywords to use, and what seems to work in my industry.
4. How can I keep my company’s growth in mind?
There’s a good chance I’m putting money, big or small, into this redesign so I need to make sure I’m able to get a return on this investment. Everything I’m doing should help my business either gain traffic, convert leads faster, actively engage my customers, increase more sales or whatever else will bring growth to my company. My website’s SEO and content is the best place to start, as it’s an essential component in marketing and customer retention. From there I’m able to address what else a redesign can do to bring growth to my business.
So whether you’re giving your website a complete overhaul, or just revamping what you already have, there are a lot of uncertainties throughout the process. Make sure you answer some of the more important questions before the redesign process and you will save time and money. Doing this will also give you more clarity during the process and satisfaction when the new website is up and running.
