A Few Notes on Redesigning Your Website
A home makeover is something you need to do if you want to update the look of your home and impress guests, onlookers, and perhaps, a property assessor. The same principle holds true for web redesign. There will certainly come a time when you will have to declutter your online place, change certain functions, and leave behind the things that hold it back.
A web redesign project should not focus solely on updating a site’s appearance. It should go beyond choosing a nice color palette and increasing the size of the fold. Here at TrueLogic, our designers always see to it that each web design/redesign proposal is always in line with a client’s goals. More importantly, we make sure that a redesigned website’s features can cope with the demands of the ever-changing online landscape.
The Need for Redesign
Some website owners make the mistake of redesigning their website on a whim just because they dislike an element or two. This is not an acceptable reason to go for a redesign project. Valid motivations should include the following:
· You are rebranding. Rebranding requires you to update all the things that represent your brand to maintain consistency. For instance, you change your company’s colors and typeface. The website should follow suit.
· Your business is growing: A redesign is necessary if your business has grown, as additional features may be required to accommodate specific user needs. This is especially true if you run an e-commerce site.
· Your business is suffering from declining sales: Such efforts are crucial if your business sees a dip in sales stats. Maybe the faulty placement of links and a garish color scheme are driving customers away.
· You need to keep up with the trends in customer behavior and technology: Google’s algorithms have changed over the years. Social media integration has become a valuable component of the strategy. Sites have become more responsive. These are enough reasons to make your web design and structure relevant.
The Elements to Keep in Mind
The elements you need to make your redesign successful will greatly depend on the goals you have. If your goal is to improve the site’s speed and the overall UX, then consider reducing the number of features to integrate. Similarly, if you want to increase customer engagement, you need to integrate social media platforms. For appearance, you need to consider the interaction and balance among images, text, white space, and color scheme.
In cases where you will totally change everything, including the site’s inner workings, you will need to touch some aspects of web development. You need to choose the right programming language. For e-commerce sites, you will have to think about the proper integration of payment gateways.
On Preserving Search Rankings
Changing algorithms have led to web design becoming one of the many ranking factors in search. The first thing you need to do to preserve your spot on the search engine results page is to properly redirect your customers and search engines to the new pages. In the SEO parlance, this is called 301 Redirects. Redirecting improves UX. More importantly, it instructs search engines to index your new pages. It also helps you retain inbound links. If you need further assistance in developing a redirection plan, it is advisable to consult with a search engine optimization company.
You should also use analytics to evaluate the performance of your newly designed website. It will help you identify which pages receive high traffic volume to come up with plans to salvage those with poor traffic.
Don’t forget the content. Search engines use the quality of content as a barometer. Choose a content management system that has integrated tools and features that works with search engine optimization.
Redesigns can be as complicated as building a website from the ground up. While in the process, you will discover what works and the things that you need to leave behind for good. More importantly, you will realize that a redesign project is also a way of fool proofing your website.