How often should you revamp your website?

Adapting to fast-changing technology

Compiled from various blogs, articles and websites

When you decide to redesign a website, the task can be overwhelming. Questions such as, “Where do I start?” and “How should I organize the content?” are bound to run through your mind.  You might your website's because your tastes have changed. Or you may have learned over time that your website's design is not ideal for your purpose.

A well thought-out redesign has the potential to bring all the right traffic and new leads, improving branding and visitor interaction with your website. But consider this: what if you rank really high in search engines? Including ranking for critical key phrases important for your business?

So the question is, if you take the leap will it hurt your search rankings? The answer is no, but only if you do it the right way. There is a strategy to maintain your organic Search Engine Optimization rankings when redesigning your website, but you must design with SEO in mind.

Redesigning a website happens very often on the internet today. It can be thanks to the new technologies that appear one after another or because the rules change from month to month. Whatever the reason is, it is quite important to do it properly and to ensure the new design will bring you more advantages over your competitor than the old version.

Don’t redesign a website only for the sake of spending money. Do it because you feel that the site needs a visual revamp. Considering the redesign is entirely for the users, it’s them you should focus on when you think about creating a new identity for your blog, publication or whatever kind of webpage it is.

Again, a website redesign can be overwhelming. It can be a big project, and you might be putting it off due to the money and time it will take. A redesign can be a wise investment, though – after all, your website is your primary online marketing tool. 

7 Good Reasons to Revamp Your Website

1. To make it mobile-friendly or customer-friendly. Mobile web usage is growing by leaps and bounds, so you need to make sure your website can be viewed on a wide variety of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. By incorporating responsive design into your new website, you’ll be assured of reaching a larger audience than you would with a website that’s not mobile-friendly.

2. To incorporate social media. If your website doesn’t feature social media in some way, you are way behind the times (and probably behind your competitors, as well). Including links to your social network profiles is the bare minimum you should include – even better is adding social sharing tools that make it easy for users to share, tweet, or pin your content. Redesigning your website can help make it easier for users to connect with you socially and spread the word about your business via their social networks.

3. To add new functionality. If you want to add a blog, forums, e-commerce, or other major features or tools to your website, a redesign is probably in order. That way you can ensure that everything flows seamlessly throughout the website, and it won’t look like the new feature was just tacked on as an afterthought.

4. To improve usability. If your site visitors can’t find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave ASAP (and they probably won’t come back for a long time). If that’s the case, you’ll definitely want a new website design that’s user-friendly and keeps your customers and prospects happy.

5. To incorporate rebranding. If your business has undergone rebranding, you’ll most certainly need to redesign your website (along with your other marketing materials). And rebranding isn’t always just about a new logo and colors – it often will require an update to the content of your website, as well, so don’t forget that aspect of your website makeover.

6. To keep it up-to-date. The web world is always changing, and web technology that was cool and cutting-edge a few years ago may be out-of-date today (Flash, anyone?). With a website redesign you can take advantage of the latest technology that web-savvy users expect.

7. To shake things up It happens to everyone – sometimes we just need a change. If you think your website is starting to look a little tired, chances are your site visitors think so, too. A fresh design may be just what you need to stir up a little excitement about your website.

Any business owner who has ever redesigned his or her company website will tell you: It’s not for the faint of heart. Whether you struggle to get key stakeholders on the same page, question where and how to best invest your money, or wonder why nobody quite gets your vision, redesigning your website can be one of the biggest challenges you face when it comes to marketing your business. But it doesn’t have to be.

12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Launching A Redesign

1. Who is my audience and what do they want to know about? 
When beginning your website project, start with what’s most important – clients and prospective . This will help you determine what should be on your homepage and how your user experience would work across the site. Look at it from the visitors perspective and allow the experience to flow across the site, people will move through the site more efficiently, get what they need and are more likely to return. This will also show users that you are thinking of them and give people a better feeling about your organization.

2. What is the purpose of the site? 
Is the purpose of your site for people to come and buy something or to show you are an expert in your field? Your site will be different depending on what you your purpose is. The more you can tell your web designer at the beginning, then the better the layout will be from the start.

3. What image do you want the site to convey? 
This is a similar idea to the purpose. Are you an organization with a long history who needs to portray a level of gravitas that or a young “fun” group that needs more movement on your site. Your website is an extension of your brand and your image. That image must be consistent. You need to determine a look, feel and imagery that reflect you honestly and commit to it.

4. Who will manage and maintain the site, and how? Having a blog is great and definitely adds to the interactivity of a website as well as showcasing what you are up to. The thing that most people don’t think about is who will write it, update it and keep the content relevant? Make sure your backend (or CMS – Content Management System) is easy to use for the average person. Out-of-date blog postings and information on your website will do you more harm than good in the long run, so consider all aspects of how the blog will be maintained!

5. Where will you get your content & photography? 
Great content and professional photographs can make or break a website design. Website visitors make decisions about your organization in less than a second. High quality photographs that are consistent and show who you are will always be invaluable. Content that is relevant and up-to-date will show what is happening and who you are helping. Content is not something that should be posted or written in haste, but should be thought out, scheduled and refined. Long story short…don’t skimp on content and photography.

6. Why Are You Redesigning? 
This is perhaps the most deceptively complex, yet obvious question of all. Before undergoing any redesign, however, it’s important to understand what it is you wish to accomplish. Are you unhappy with the way your site functions? Do you simply want a better-looking site? Do you need to improve search engine rankings and sales conversions? Maybe the focus of your business has shifted and it’s time for new content. These are all important factors to consider, so before you start, make a detailed list of what it is you wish to accomplish during the redesign. This will help guide you through the rest of the process and make sure you stay focused on the end goal.

7. What Type of Redesign Do You Need? 
Now that you’ve decided exactly why you want to redesign your site, it’s time to decide just how far down the rabbit hole you need to go. Perhaps a small change in visuals and content is all that’s necessary. On the other hand, you may need to add new features or completely redo your underlying code base. Depending on your needs and budget, a large overhaul may be out of the question, or it may be the most cost-effective long-term solution, so take a moment to think about your needs going forward and work with your developer to strike a balance that best meets them.

8. What Does and Doesn’t Work Currently? 
No matter how large or small the redesign, chances are there will be some elements of your existing site that work very well and some that don’t work at all. Now is the time to go through your site and identify these elements. Maybe your content is too verbose or your sales page isn’t very user-friendly. On the other hand, that photo gallery and the blog may be big-ticket items that do really well for your image and bring in lots of traffic. Some elements will need to remain (though possibly given a makeover), some will need to be cleaned up and some will have to go. Break your site down into its key components and then compare those with the goals you decided on in step one and the overall vision for your web site. If something doesn’t fit, it’s out.

9. How Is Your Site Being Used? 
Along these same lines, don’t forget to take a look at how users are currently interacting with your site. This will help you identify great content and problem areas. Study your traffic statistics and site analytics for information on things such as entry and exit pages, sales conversions, and search engine keywords. This will help you to understand how visitors find your site and what they do once they get there. While you’re studying those statistics, also have a look at details like screen resolution and browser usage. This will help your developer determine what technical specifications your site should meet and whether a separate mobile version of your site is recommended, among other things.

10. Has Your Brand or Company Image Changed?  
If you’ve undergone changes to your brand and company image, those changes need to be reflected in your site, even if the only updates are visual. Keep your logos updated and consider a color-overhaul if the corporate image or philosophy has shifted. Your website is often the first impression people get of your business, so it should grow and mature right along with the rest of your brand identity.

11. When and How Should You Launch Your Redesign? 
When and how you launch your redesign can have a big impact on your traffic and in generating buzz about your new site and your product. Maybe you’re simply making improvements and want to slowly roll out changes over time and unannounced. This unobtrusive rollout won’t give you a lot of buzz, but it will still accomplish your goals of improving the site’s performance and the user’s experience. On the other hand, a big relaunch around the holidays or at the start of a big promotion, or when announcing a major change in the way your business operates can both draw traffic and generate more interest.

12. How Do I Make the Transition Smoother? 
Most people are a little intimidated by change. If you have a site that gets a lot of repeat traffic, a sudden, drastic change in form and function can be a bit off-putting to some users. Further, you don’t want this drastic shift to damage search engine rankings and suddenly destroy any and all backlinks you may have gathered over the years. Try and keep vital elements of your site similar to their existing counterparts, such as the main navigation and header. Usually, your redesign should strive to be an evolution of your existing site, not a dramatic replacement. If the change is dramatic, make sure it’s clear and give your users a blog post or news announcement discussing the changes. Similarly, you want to make things easy for the search engine spiders, as well. Moved content should be redirected via 301 redirects, for instance, and error pages should be helpful and transmit the correct header information and meta data. For human visitors, make sure those error pages contain helpful information that is, where possible, relevant to the content the user was trying to access.

8 Steps to Consider During the Redesign Process

By following these steps during the redesign process, you will be able to bring your site to the modern age and maintain your valuable traffic:

1. Understand your Current Keywords – If you have a website that ranks well and drives quality traffic you may already have an understanding of which phrases people are using to find you. Use a rank checker to find all the phrases you rank for and which pages they are associated with. Create a spreadsheet that shows the date, the phrase, the page, and the current average rank. This will let you check them after the site update to ensure they continue to perform the same, or if changes need to be made.

2. Know which Pages Bring Traffic – Check your analytics program (or install one now if you are not already using one) to see which pages are getting the most organic search traffic. Make sure your new site includes these pages. You do not want to remove a page that is performing well. Understand the key phrases that brought traffic to the old pages and if you are using new content, make sure it is just as relevant as the old and, if possible, use the same URL structure on the new site.

3. Understand your Site Architecture – Site Architecture refers to how your site is set up, including your navigation and internal linking. When performing a site redesign there is a good chance your URL structure will change – at least slightly – and it is important to inform the search engines where the old URLs have moved. If you do not take this step, it can absolutely destroy any SEO power you had with the search engines. Fortunately, there are several tools you can use to crawl your site to understand the current architecture and how pages should be migrated or redirected.

4. Analyze your Inbound Links – Inbound links are still immensely important to the SEO power of a website. If your site redesign changes your URL structure, fails to migrate important pages, or does not redirect the important pages to their new version, your inbound link value will be lost and it’s very possible you will lose valuable traffic. By running an inbound link analysis, you will understand which pages are linking to you and which of your pages they are linking to.

5. Create a Redirect Plan – Once you understand which pages are receiving the most traffic and which pages are getting the most inbound links you can create a redirect plan. Properly redirecting your old pages to their new versions using 301 redirects is the key piece of your site migration from an SEO perspective. Using 301 redirects will safely pass any PageRank from old pages to new ones and will maintain your rankings and your traffic. If your pages are not 301 redirected correctly, your website will pay for it.

6. Update your Robots File – When you migrate to your new site several things may change, including your login area, shopping cart, and your content management system. Your Robots file tells the search engines which pages they should not index, and should be updated to match your new site structure.

7. Create a New Site Map – Along with telling the search engines which pages they should not follow, you will want to tell them which pages they should follow and help them find those pages as quickly as possible. Your XML site map does just that. Most CMS programs, such as WordPress, have plugins to help you create a site map, but any good development company will be able to help with this as well.

8. Set Up Webmaster Tools – After your redirect plan, setting up Webmaster Tools is the most important step. Both Google and Bing offer webmaster tools and provide great insights, such as allowing you to verify website ownership as well as other diagnostics for your website. Both search engines will even alert you when something is wrong. Additionally, if you are changing domain names, Google has a way to let them know you are moving. Webmaster tools are the best way to monitor your site before, during, and after the migration to ensure everything is going well.

Other Considerations During A Redesign

1. Responsive Design 
With the rapid increase of mobile and tablets, responsive design is the next big thing when it comes to website design. With people on the go, these devices are replacing desktops so they need to offer just as much or more. Being able to set website priorities for a mobile or tablet will help ensure your user base is able to find what they need in a timely manner when visiting your site. Since these devices have smaller screen sizes you need to rank what loads first on the screen (depending on the screen size, only one segment may be shown) in case the user doesn’t scroll down. You must decide what gets a higher priority over other items in relation to your industry and objectives. Reviewing Google analytics and landing page visits will help you see your high traffic pages on each device.

2. SEO 
Panda, Penguin, Hummingbird, who? With all of Google’s updates it can be hard to remember all the SEO rules. Panda and Penguin aren’t new to the SEO world as many versions and updates have been released over the years, while Hummingbird was just announced in September 2013. For more information on Why you should care about Pandas and Penguins, Speaker Adam Proehl discusses the differences between Panda and Penguin in this recorded webinar. Hummingbird is Google’s new search algorithm, and it is designed to handle conversational queries at an advanced level. This doesn’t change the theory that “Content is King”, but instead supports high-quality content. The secret to surviving search engine optimization as it will continue to develop is using tools such has Google Analytics and Google Webmaster tools to prepare you for any changes ahead. In addition, Chris Hoell, our Social Media Manager wrote a great article on the difference between the two, so check that out as well!

3. Keep it clean
Websites can often be disorganized and cluttered – avoid this information overload! No matter what your website goals are you want the message to be clear and concise. Graphics are great along with colors, but both can be overwhelming. When deciding your website color palate, remember white is OK! It is clean and can help create the look you want. Plus, lighter colors are easier on the eyes. If your pages are text heavy, keeping it simple will guarantee the reader continues through the page.

4. Captivate your audience
In today’s world consumers don’t have time for a slow, dull website. With advanced technology and living in a fast-pace world we have tons of options; however so many choices can sometimes be too much. When designing your website you want to be certain you are offering the right products or services for your target audience. For example, a dental office website is going to be very different compared to a retail website. Two particular objectives are being defined with these websites, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t look the same or have the same user experience. It is critical that your website is unique, but also accomplishes the goal in mind while staying competitive. Blogs, social, videos and statistics are great eye catchers, and they allow the same information to be displayed in various ways!

5. Going global
Not every company or website is global so this may not pertain to all of you; however our website is global. Designing a multi-lingual website can bring additional challenges in optimizing and adding content in various languages. Whether you hire a company or use internal resources, it is critical to have native speakers proof the site to verify the translations are accurate. Sometimes phrases can’t be translated easily so take the extra time and investment to ensure everything is translated the way it is intended.

4 Common Redesign Problems

1. Focusing too much on beauty and not enough on sales. 
It’s frustrating as a designer, but sometimes, the ugliest pages are the ones that make the most money. Ugly pages are usually simple by nature, and they often have only one area of focus or one call to action. There’s no subtle design elements drawing the eye away from the most important areas of the page, which are the copy and the call to action.

Not only that, but ugly (and effective) landing pages make it very apparent as to what kind of action you’re supposed to take, often to an annoying fault. We’ve all seen the yellow-highlighted box with the words “CLICK HERE” on those ugly marketing sites. But the fact of the matter is that while they may be annoying, those pages usually convert quite well.

2. Not using data in the redesign plan. 
Address specific, actionable data points to improve on.

Is your site broken? Does it not convert very well? These are all good reasons to redesign your site. But just going off of your gut is dangerous.

If you have Google Analytics installed, then you’ll have data to work with when you redesign your website. Look for pages that have high bounce rates and early exits and breaks in your sales funnel. A quick Google search will bring you up to speed about how to find these numbers and what to do with them. There are plenty of great resources out there for those that want to learn.

3. Not motivating the buyer to buy.
If you’re trying to get people to take action (of any kind) on your website, then you need to motivate them. Conversions are simply about putting motivated people in front of a motivating design.

There should be a sense of urgency, a reason for anyone to drop what they're doing and buy what you're selling. When your site doesn’t motivate users to take some sort of action, your sales will fall—fast.

4. Straying from standard website elements, which is confusing to customers. 
Use standard, universal navigation that nearly everyone can understand, links that are easy to spot, and forms that are easy to understand and fill out. If your business relies on people filling out forms for sales or leads, this is a problem.

When it comes right down to it, the people who come to a site to buy don’t care about the cutting edge. They want websites that work the way they think they should work. As a business owner, if you provide a website that doesn't do this, people will get frustrated and leave, no matter how cool your website looks.

The next time you think about redesigning your website, be sure to do it with any eye to making sure it’s going to benefit the end user—and your bottom line—first.