Whether it’s been a few months, or a decade since you launched your website, whether it’s just for one business, or multiple businesses and services, there will come a time when you will have to make a big decision about your website design.
With more and more businesses going online, it’s a great time -and opportunity- to re-evaluate your website and how it may need updating. And although everything seems to change and evolve at lightening speeds – some things will stay the same and there are definitely 5 important aspects you need to consider before investing in a full re-design.
First, you have to ensure your website conveys the right message. This can be achieved by doing a competitive analysis.
What do I mean by competitive analysis? Basically, you want to look at other websites that are very similar to yours and find out what they are doing well and what they are not doing so well and ask yourself the following:
What do they have that you don't? How do they use their websites to generate traffic, leads and sales? Are they using social media effectively? How do they present their product and services on their websites? By analyzing your competitors you will be able to find out what works and what doesn't work as far as online marketing is concerned.
Aim to take your website to the next level by implementing the best features of other websites.
You may be wondering how you can do this if you don't know about these other websites. The easiest way is to just search for keywords related to your website in Google and visit the top results.
In the last few years, web design has undergone a huge transformation.
Tastes have also changed with regards to how websites should look and feel. Innovative designs that use parallax scrolling, create depth and motion through animation, or simply act as a canvas for stunning photography are not only being designed but they're being used to increase user engagement and conversions.
What's more, mobile usage is growing exponentially and users expect a great experience when using your website on their mobile device. This trend is only set to continue so it's important to consider the importance of your website being optimized for all devices.
According to Google, 50% of searches are now being carried out on mobile devices so it's vital that your website looks good (and functions well) whether people are accessing it from their computer or their phone.
Consistency is key! You want to make sure that the look and feel of your site is consistent across all devices- this includes color schemes, fonts, layout and overall design.
This is particularly important for ecommerce businesses where customers often shop online using their phones.
Customers will tell you what they think if you ask them. It's always a good idea to include a section on your website where customers can leave feedback about their experiences with your company. If you have an email newsletter, you can also ask for feedback in that way; just be sure to include a response mechanism, such as a link to an online contact form or even just an email address.
Research reviews of your business on social media sites, including Facebook and Yelp, and respond promptly and professionally to all negative comments. Negative feedback can be used as an opportunity to show off your customer service skills, or at the very least, it gives you the chance to offer discounts or free products as an apology for the poor experience.
As you seek out feedback from your customers, you'll be able to find out what they like and didn't like about your products and services. This will help you decide if you'll need to make any changes in the future. It can also help you better understand your target audience, which will give you a better idea of how to market your products and services.
TIP: It's best to collect customer feedback in person, through an email survey or over the phone.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users; these visitors can then be converted into customers.
What is your goal for redesigning your website?SEO is not just about appearing higher in the search rankings. Depending on your business goals, you may be trying to increase leads from organic searches, increase sales from organic searches, get more people to fill out your forms, provide more information about what you do through your site, etc. It all depends on how you want to use SEO to achieve your bigger business goals.
Who is your target audience?This is another question that can be answered by having a plan for how SEO will help you achieve your overall goals for your business. If you're trying to increase conversions through organic searches then it would be good to know who is searching for your products/services so that you can make sure that they find what they're looking for when they land on your website.
One of the most important aspects of your website is its design. Design is often overlooked as a critical component of your website because people assume that if you have great content, then the design should take care of itself. However, great content needs to be organized and visually appealing in order to be easily consumed by your target audience.
The design of your website also plays an essential role in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Your overall objective when optimizing a website for search engines is to increase visits and sales. This can be achieved through proper keyword usage in your text and ensuring that the most important information about your business is easily accessible on every page.
What do you do when your website is looking a bit tired and dated? If your website has been around for a while then it probably needs a redesign. Whether you have been running a website for 5 years, or have just set one up, it is important to keep it fresh and up to date. If you have been running the same site since you first started business then it is definitely time for a re-design. Your customers will start to notice if their favorite online shop hasn't been updated in years.
Consider how long it's been since you last updated your home page. If a new version of your homepage has been sitting in an inbox somewhere, now might be the time to finally get it designed and deployed. If that doesn't seem like something you're ready for, try updating individual pages or even sections of the site on a regular basis.
The purpose of a website is to provide information and convert site visitors into customers. Your website should be easy to use and simple for your brand, services and products. By following the above tips you can keep your website effective in these areas.
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to creating a website is that there are many different elements involved. Although you should always start with a plan, there are a lot of changes that can take place along the way. You need to keep an open mind about what you can do and how you will do it because in order for your business to succeed your website must be able to change and evolve with the needs of your customers, employees and the market.
These five items are important to consider when re-designing your website. The process can be long and arduous. But by doing your homework and thinking things through, you will be better able to make the choices that are best for you and your website.
Have any questions? Or looking for a redesign yourself? We'd be happy to consult you!
Fill out our contact form at cohdigital.io/contact-us/ or send an email to new@cohdigital.io to get in touch.
