How do you know when it’s time to redesign your web site? If you’re a website owner, it’s a common occurrence to be approached by web-design companies seeking to offer you their services. However, how can you tell a sincere appraisal from a sales-pitch? If your website still receives a consistent flow of targeted traffic, earns you revenue, and gives you a few leads now and then, is a redesign unnecessary? Maybe. However, even if your website is still functioning the question might be how well it’s doing its job, and if there’s still room for improvement. With the increasingly web-centered status quo, the website is no longer just a nifty gimmick—it’s your storefront—and no self-respecting grocer places stale and spoiled produce for display. Making the big decision for a website redesign however might be a bit daunting, so knowing why it’s necessary might make the choice easier to make.
The Need
Statistics prove that viewers are more likely to navigate away from a website that looks either old or not regularly updated with content. The reverse of course is demonstrated by websites like Twitter or Facebook which are updated multiple times a minute in terms of content, and given a new look and features every month or two. This might be common sense, but unfortunately most website and business owners either don’t believe in it, or are don’t think that the benefits are worth the costs of an overhaul. However, as previously stated, websites are no longer just a repository for contact information, but now serve as the face of your company. In the same way that you’d require your receptionist to wear stylish and unwrinkled clothing, so too should your website be coiffed and polished.
Is it Worth It?
Do the pros justify the cons? Redesigning an existing website is a very involved process, and—like all transitions—come with some growing pains. Proceeding with a website redesign can cause some degree of alienation for loyal visitors. The mentality of “if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it” does hold some wisdom, after all.
On the flip-side, having a website that looks current and well maintained drives home the message that you take care of the details and your image. If your current website is working within your expectations, then you have to start thinking that you might have stagnated and reached a plateau. An outdated website does not take advantage of the new emerging technologies, coding techniques and revisions, and the host of new services and features that appear on the web constantly. A website redesign could also prove to be the best opportunity to work out the kinks and glitches that might exist in your current website.
A website redesign is more than just a logo-design or a font-change. Most times, it’s a more arduous operation than starting from scratch. Having the current website as a basis and skeleton may seem like a great thing—but it might also end up as a crutch, limit your imagination, and narrow your vision. A website redesign involves having some goals that you would wish to achieve: it might be a simple as improving usability or updating your color palette and artistic directions since you went through a rebranding. Afterwards, the designers would work on the nitty-gritty: changing the navigation menu setup and sitemap or switching from curves and neon colors to clean-cut lines and pastels.
Making the Decision
When all is said and done, it’s really up to you whether to believe that the potential good that would come from doing a website redesign would outweigh the amount of time, money and effort it would take to do it right. The worst thing you could do is decide to do it just because someone said so or doing it without any clear objectives or goals. A website redesign might in fact cost you loyal visitors and a significant acclimatization period for both you and your customers, without actually improving the usability of the site. Even the most cosmetic of changes should have a good reason behind it, and major revisions such as rearranging the sitemap shouldn’t be done without a clear rationale justifying the change.
In the end, the best piece of advice would be to treat website redesign like any major business decision—evaluate where you are, evaluate where you want to be—then close that gap as best as you can with the tools you have.
Read more about Website Redesign in our next article about the signs and symptoms of an outdated website!