How to Plan Your Website Redesign for Success

When you decide to take on a website redesign project, you’ve already noticed that your current website is not optimizing as it should and you’re not generating the organic traffic needed to make your business more successful. But here’s the catch, how do you redesign your website so that you are setting yourself up for success?

Firstly, you need to be prepared by spending some time figuring out what isn’t working on your current website and what has actually been beneficial to your business. It’s okay if you can’t think of any positive things that you want to carry over to your new site, a lot of businesses go for a completely new look and feel when redesigning their website.

Below we have given you the best tips for planning your website redesign for success and by implementing these tips into your plan, you’ll be well on your way to having the best website design in your market.

1. Figuring out what all needs to change

This is a big one for a lot of companies because they want to just dive in and start from scratch, which you could do – but do you really need to change everything about your existing website? You can save both time and money by looking at each aspect of your current website and deciding which parts are actually working the way they were designed to.

Here are some things to consider:

How it reflects your business plan

If you find that some of these steps are already in place and working fine, then consider doing a partial redesign or perhaps a more modern, user-friendly facelift. Once you’ve decided what needs to be done with your website redesign, then you’re one step closer to achieving your goals.

Also, consider why you think your website needs a redesign, this can give you insights as to how much needs to change. Think about how your current website represents your business model and if it’s relatable to your target audience. Sometimes websites need a complete makeover and a completely new business plan, and sometimes they are just out of date and need minor changes.

Note: Anything that is driving organic traffic to your website should be kept and used in your new design because they are influencing your search engine rankings.

2. Get some ideas and check out other websites in your niche

There is no harm in checking out your competition and seeing what their websites have to offer. See what stands out to you, what you like, and what you don’t want to do on your website.

You’d be surprised how many businesses actually model their website after some of the biggest, most successful brands – and that’s okay as long as you’re just getting ideas and not copying another business’s content or exact platform. Let it spark your creativity and start making notes on what you loved the most about each website you visited.

Here are some of the key things to look for:

This is not just limited to products, when offering services you can also give tips and guides on how to use things that make life simpler for your clients. Be sure to look at the design and flow of their homepages and see what caught your eye and then think of ways you can do something similar.

3. Starting your plan

Now that you’ve checked out the competition, you probably have some things in mind that really popped out from those other websites. Make a list of all things you want your website to incorporate in the redesign and review this with a business partner or another source before moving forward.

Getting insights from people who know your business goals will give you more perspective into whether or not you’re heading in the right direction. There are professionals who specialize in website redesign and you might want to consider getting their help if you want to optimize your website to the fullest extent.

One of the biggest mistakes website owners make when it comes to website redesign is not having a clear picture of what the end product should look like. You should never approach a redesign with the idea to go with the flow and make decisions along the way. This where mistakes are made and crucial points are overlooked.

Regardless if you go this alone or partner with a professional web designer or digital agency – you need to have a clear vision of what you want your website to look like before diving into the redesign.

4. Know your numbers

When it comes to redesigning a website, there is nothing more important than knowing your numbers before you dive in. We are not just talking about your budget, although that is a major player – so be sure to have that as part of your plan. But the numbers we are talking about involve your current website analytics.

In order to successfully redesign a new website, you should know what all your current metrics look like, including but not limited to:

Along with what is listed above and based on your business, you may have other critical tracking elements in your metrics that should be considered. This data will give you valuable insights and will help in your decision making for your redesign.

5. Content Management System (CMS)

Every website has a solid CMS behind the scenes and this is imperative for a website to be successful. This is where the professionals do all the leg work and keep your page up to snuff while you easily manage what happens next. We’re not saying you have to use a CMS, but we do strongly suggest you consider using one or hiring a professional website designer to all the grunt work for you.

You could easily use a service that gives you all the tools needed to do your own website design. It not only saves you money but also saves you a lot of unnecessary stress and countless hours that you could be applying towards your business goals.

Here are some of the top reasons for considering using a CMS:

6. Decide whether or not to partner with a professional website designer or digital agency

Now comes the time to decide if you will partner with a professional website designer or digital agency for your website redesign. You have options, but the outcome can vary drastically. You want to work with a platform that specializes in marketing and knows all the ins and outs of business strategies.

You want to make sure that everything from online marketing to branding is covered, including strategy, content, lead generation, social media options, and messaging. The main objective of doing a new website redesign is to make your website stand out and attract new business along with improving your SEO for optimal results.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know everything that’s involved in redesigning a website, you need to decide if your website needs a complete redesign or just a facelift. Either way, you’ve got all the information needed to move forward and make the best decision based on your personal business needs.

Remember, website redesigns are a big business decision and should be looked at from all aspects listed above. It’s certainly not impossible, companies do it on a regular basis – you just need to make sure you’re up for the task.