How do you know when you’re looking at a website in need of a redesign? For some people, it’s like former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” Indeed, there are plenty of obscene websites out there offending good design and development principles.
There also are some qualitative benchmarks you can use to gauge your current website if you know your website isn’t working hard enough for your business, or you want to make a case to your finance department for a redesign budget.
Consider these points when looking at a possible website redesign effort
- Your business has changed. If you have expanded your business, added new products/services or anything of the sort since your current website launched, you need a redesign. At this point, your website’s content, design and functionality don’t properly reflect the essence of your company today.
- Your website looks like a screenshot. Everything is on the move…you, your company, the world. A static website with no interactive elements and dull, unchanging content screams “OUTDATED!” to your audience. If your website screams outdated, that’s affects the visitor’s impression of your brand, as well.
- Your website resembles a cluttered coffee table. You’ve seen (or maybe you own) a coffee table that seems to be a catch-all for random things around the house. If you just keep adding information, pages and elements to your website without prioritizing and streamlining, you’ll create an unnavigable behemoth that will drive away visitors.
- Your competition is blowing your doors off in SEO rankings. Outdated websites suffer from numerous maladies, the most serious being the inability to rank high on search engines because of old, unfocused content and technological shortcomings.
- Lead-generation from your website is nonexistent. If this is true, people either don’t find your presentation compelling enough to inquire further, or you make it too difficult for people to continue the conversation with you. Probably a little bit of both. Time to spruce up your website.
- Content updates eat up half your workday and budget. Gone are the days when you’re forced to rely on a cumbersome process to update your website’s content. These days, many CMSs deliver powerful features that busy, non-technical people can utilize without wasting time or money.
- Your website works best in Internet Explorer 6. Websites built a few years ago were generally only optimized for one or two browsers. Now people have a choice in browser, and you might be surprised that Chrome is the leading browser, with more than a third of the browser market share. If your website design/code isn’t optimized for the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc., you are creating a poor user experience for your audience.
- Your audience is mobile but your site is not. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you might have noticed that people browse the web on devices other than desktops and laptops. The explosion of the mobile/tablet market is remarkable and not slowing down, so your website must cater to your audience, no matter their device. Investing in responsive design or a separate mobile site is a must-have for any business these days.
- Navigation is slow and clunky. People visiting your website likely are in a hurry, so you want to present your important information quickly and intuitively with enough impact to make them linger and learn more. An updated site architecture and navigation can help you achieve this.
- Your site is just an online brochure. Websites are so much more than online brochures. If your website is just a regurgitation of your sales materials, it’s simply not going to compete these days. Investing in a few simple “technology” features such as blogs, social media feeds and online chat can give you a leg up against your competition and help you connect with your audiences. What once was “fancy” is standard for any website worth its salt in 2013 so don’t shortchange your business when you plan your website redesign strategy.
ZAG Interactive can redesign and develop a website that meets all of your business goals. From website redesigns to interactive marketing, we can help you build a website that works harder for your business. Contact us today to chat.