Does your website need a redesign? A website redesign can do a lot of good things for you, but it can be hard to decide when it’s time to make the leap.
Here are some questions to consider.
Do you need a technical update?
There are often warning signs when your website is near end of life. You may see more incompatibility issues than usual. Plugins don’t seem to work the way they should. Your website may just begin to seem a little delicate or finicky.
You might get messages telling you that you need to update your PhP. Updating plugins is more likely to break your website. You might get warnings from your web hosting company or mysterious hints on your site health screen.
A lot of site owners ignore these things as long as possible. That’s a mistake. Make the decision to update before you have big tech problems, and you won’t have to rush to keep your website online.
Before we leave this point, consider that it’s not always about not broke so don’t fix it. New technologies come along and offer new functionality for websites. Take advantage of this for your online presence.
Does your website look passé?
If all your competitors have switched to giant hero images and your website is still using a narrow column with rounded edges, you need a redesign. You don’t have to be the first to adopt a new trend, but you don’t want to be the last to discard it, either.
One of the advantages of the internet is that your small business can look just as legit as a much larger outfit. You won’t get that effect if your design is completely outdated.
If you like to stretch the time between redesigns, don’t go with the trendiest look. It’s likely to look dated sooner than a more classic design.But pay some attention to the current trends in web design — or choose a designer who can do that for you.
Has your business changed?
The pandemic disrupted a lot of industries. If your business relies more on the web than it used to, if you offer a different set of services, if your products and people have changed a lot, it’s time to rethink your website.
Your old design and functionality might have been perfect for your business as it used to be. Your new website might need to be a bit different.
Start by thinking about what you want to sell and who you’re trying to reach. Then plan the best way to meet the needs of those consumers when they’re looking for your goods and services.
Is it in the budget?
If a website redesign isn’t in the budget right now, get a realistic estimate of the cost and fit it into your budget in the future. You may need to set something aside each month till you feel comfortable with the expense.
Think twice about going with the cheapest option. Sometimes we see people who try to work around the cost…and end up spending more because they have to redo their website much sooner than they should have.
The cost of a website can vary enormously. If you get a few professional estimates and they are all in the same ballpark, but someone else offers to do the work for much less, find out why.
When you’re ready for a redesign, we’d love to help you. We’ll look at the way your current website performs and identify the changes that will make a difference going forward. Everything we do has SEO baked in. And we can advise you on how to get the best results for your online presence once your newly redesigned website is launched.
Leave a Reply