Over the past few decades, a lot of websites have been created to leverage the business potentials of various enterprises. Although these websites vary in terms of their design, the main aim is to retain the attention of visitors and convert leads into sales. Just as physical stores keep changing their displays from time to time businesses also need to change the look and feel of their website or ‘redesign’ it and break this monotony. Also, advancement of technology is another reason to redesign a website and adapt to the latest changes.
More often than not, we assume that website redesigning is to start everything anew. This step may lead to taking away some of the best elements from the existing website. So, how do you go about redesigning your website that can leverage your brand’s potential? Let us find out by going through some of the things that you need to consider before redesigning your website.
1. What purpose will the redesigning serve?
Start with questioning your purpose of redesigning the website. At the earliest stages, you need to think why you need the change in the first place. The following questions will help you in this direction:
- Are you looking forward to enhance the website simply to increase its aesthetic appeal?
- Did you recently change the logo or the name that define your brand or your business?
- Do you want to add/remove products and services on the website?
- Are you thinking of adding new pages and maintaining consistent look and feel on the website?
- Is your sole purpose of redesigning to boost traffic on the website and enhance the conversion ratio?
- Does the content on your website need a complete overhaul?
Working on these questions and others will definitely save your time and efforts in the long run, when you proceed with the redesigning process.
2. Know what to keep and what to discard
The next point is to know what all elements or features in your existing website you should retain and what all you need to discard. For instance, think about the visual hierarchy of the website. If the existing website design already consists of a visually appealing visual hierarchy and images, then you need not work on it right from the scratch. Keep it as it is and work on other features that can blend in seamlessly with the existing hierarchy.
(Image Credit: http://dreamteam.pl/)
Also, if you have a website that takes time to load, then eliminate all the elements that are contributing in making it slow. For example, if you previously used Flash on your website to make it interactive, try going for HTML 5, which serves the same purpose but without affecting the loading time or making the site crash. It also does away with plugins from the visitor’s end. Embrace a minimalist approach, get rid of all clutter and you will be through to a fast-loading, exceptional website. Just be persistent in your efforts and you can definitely get the desired results.
3. Check whether the user interface needs to be changed
User interface and user experience (UI and UX) are two driving factors for any website. If you feel that the user interface of the existing website needs to be changed, then work upon the same. However, if the user interface works perfectly fine, then go ahead and make some basic changes. You can change the content, the background color of the website or simply add some new pages that conform to the existing website.
(Image Credit: http://www.upandonward.com/)
For instance, if your website is already responsive with say a card based layout that works perfectly on devices with small screens, then it is imperative that you keep the layout as it is and make the changes such as – adding new images or new cards and creating a new background etc. So, if you want to create some new pages, then make sure that you opt for a card based layout for the same. Likewise, if your website offers parallax scrolling that offers the best UX for those who use their mobiles to browse the web, then there is nothing like it; the new web pages should also offer the same experience to the visitors.
4. Prioritize the features and functionalities
Another essential point that you need to consider as a part of the website redesigning process is that you need to prioritize the features and functionalities that you want to include in your website. For instance, think about – video streaming, slideshows, hero images or large headers and social sharing widgets that you want to include in the new design. Also, you might consider changing the typography, including some new CTAs (call-to-actions) or even changing the entire sitemap to accommodate new landing pages. You can also use the latest technologies such as going for a flat design for the website.
(Image Credit: http://poppyspend.britishlegion.org.uk/)
Listing down the features and functionalities is the difficult part as you need to eliminate all the unnecessary bells and whistles and focus on only the important elements that are going to bring you maximum returns on your investment. One of the best ways to do this is to take a look at some of the best websites in your niche and get cues about what you can implement in your redesigned website.
Conclusion
Redesigning a website doesn’t guarantee overnight success for your website. Apart from having a beautiful design and perfect UI and UX, the website also needs to be optimized to drive sales for your business. Combine the above mentioned points along with website optimization and you will have a wonderfully redesigned website that can boost up the conversion ratios like never before.
Want to add some more considerations for website redesigning to this list? Share your thoughts with us through your comments.
Author Bio:
John Siebert is the President and CEO of Tranquil Blue – Tampa Web Design Company that focuses on all kinds of website design, mobile app development and search engine marketing.
