Are you aware that the “process of creating” a website is in fact never-ending? We don’t want to scare you, but once you have a website you should be aware that it will need changes from time to time. That’s the reason why having a developer always by your side is a must if you’re after creating something professional that will bring you an online income.
One of the most important things that will either grasp the attention of your users or turn them to another website is how well is your site designed. Since trends change rapidly and what was modern yesterday can be outdated today, the need for a website redesign is always just around the corner. An appealing website design attracts organic users, can increase your chance at good SEO rankings and can turn a bigger profit than your competitors.
That’s the reason why investing in your website design is a must, as well as saving some of your budget for a website redesign. Statistics show that this is essential – the competition definitely won’t wait for you. The last thing you should do in 2019 is sit around with a 2013 website design!. That’s a very long period of time to leave your website “untouched”.
So, to help you out with planning, we’ll walk you through the 7 most important steps you should follow in order to rebuild your website’s design.
Step 1: Check Your Existing Website
A website redesign is not only about making changes in everything, but rather finding what really needs a makeover. First, you’d have to identify the gaps and things that need to be remodeled in order to successfully redesign some sections.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What are the “weaknesses” of your website?
- Which things create confusion for users?
- What content can be removed and what can be added?
- Are your CTAs obvious?
Check which pages bring you high SEO rankings and visitors and make sure they are not changed or deleted because you might lose your traffic.
Step 2: Research and Find Inspiration
Don’t neglect to check out your competitors. You should use them as guidance and analyze their websites to gauge what is actually good and what will never work. If you want to analyze your competition, it’s a good idea to make a quick stop at the SimilarWeb and see their traffic, country and category rankings, topics, content, keywords and much more.
Learn from everything that makes them successful and incorporate those methods and techniques into your website in an authentic way. You should mix those methods of success with some inspiration you can find online. You can check some designer communities in order to motivate yourself, get new ideas and incorporate your thoughts into design.
Step 3: Set Goals and Objectives
What is the redesign going to bring you? How is it going to change things for your website? In what ways will your users benefit from the new design of your website? These questions are crucial in order to set clear goals and objectives of what you would like to accomplish by redesigning your site, which targets and goals you want to hit and how you expect things to improve.
Step 4: Create a Content Sitemap
Creating a sitemap on PowerPoint or Google Slides is a simple yet effective technique that will give you a clear picture of how your content will be sectioned. First of all, jot down what your website already has, what content should be updated, what needs to be added and what content is weighing your site down, bringing no fruitful results.
Step 5: Reshape Your Brand Identity
Throughout the years, your goals and objectives will definitely change, at least slightly, and so will your brand identity. For this reason, it’s essential to convey this message to your users through your design. The visuals that your users get when they land on your website should represent your core values and the idea behind your brand. In short, use design as a metaphor for your motto.
Step 6: Set a Budget and Timeline
Before redesigning your website you should definitely have a certain budget, right? The other two things which are essential are a team that’ll work on it and a scheme. A plan will help you set a certain deadline, divide the tasks in order for the redesign to be completed and set certain objectives, methods and a timeline of how things will go.
Step 7: Test It
There are simple tools that can help you test the new design of your website. You don’t have to be a developer to use them because they are pretty simple for beginners. Test which version and which color will have the best rate of conversion. Also, you can ask your users to complete a short survey about the new design of your website. This can be your guide.
Conclusion
To sum up, you can easily redesign your website just by following these simple steps. Redesigning is what’s going to keep your brand fresh, new, and modern. Equally important is hosting your website on fast hosting such as Domain Name Sanity, it can make or break the experience on your website. This is a way to stay ahead of your competition, have good SEO rankings and, at the end of the day, satisfied users as well. Here’s a quick overview of all the things you need to focus on when you decide to redesign your site:
- Think of all the things that have to be changed on your website, but also keep those which are bringing you good results. Which content will you keep and which has to be thrown in the bin?
- Look at your competitors to get an insight into what might work for you too. However, keep your own voice and maintain an authentic brand identity!
- Create a plan with a budget and a timeline in order for this project to be successful.
- Ask your users whether the new design is better than the old one. Keep in mind that some aren’t very keen on changes, but they’ll get used to the new version if it’s functional.
Remember that there is no such thing as perfect, and you’ll have to change your design every once in a while because, well, things have to evolve pretty fast in the online world!
