You may be approached by a web design company suggesting that your website needs an overhaul. How do you know whether or not this is true? Ask yourself the following questions to assure that you aren’t tricked into paying for an unnecessary website redesign.
Am I considering a website redesign because I’m tired of my website?
This is one of the worst reasons to redesign a website. 1) Your website isn’t “old” to new customers who find you. 2) Knowing what to expect when a customer returns to your website gives your customer a sense of comfort around your site.
Think of your website as similar to a store you visit frequently. If the store, decides to do a remodel and change where things are located, how do you feel the first few times you shop after the change? Frustrated? You find yourself looking for someone who works there to direct you to the right place.
When a customer arrives on your redesigned website, unless your redesign is very careful and logical, it can create enough frustration to lose the customer. Ask yourself this: When is the last time you recognized a major design change on Amazon.com or Ebay.com? Remember a website customer can’t turn to a store associate.If you did the site right the first time, you don’t need to redesign your site. You may just need to tweak its look a bit. You can do this through three things: Content, color and fonts. The most important of these is content.
Am I considering a website redesign because I’m not attracting visitors?
A good SEO strategy will attract visitors to a website. A redesign is worthless for improving SEO, unless it involves renaming pages with SEO enhancing titles. That’s not a redesign issue; it’s an SEO issue.
Take a careful look at your website content before considering a redesign. If your content is poorly written and stuffed with keywords, content revision will accomplish more. Seek help with SEO optimization before taking the additional step of paying for a website redesign. Even if your site isn’t laid out optimally with those features which encourage customer action, these shortfalls can often be overcome by great inbound marketing content.
Am I considering a website redesign because I’m not seeing click through?
This can be a valid reason for considering a website redesign. Some websites are so poorly laid out, the customer is confused as to what the page is about and what action the customer should take once he/she arrives.
But often a web page can be “redesigned” just by the content included on it. Keeping the message on the page direct and to the point, an invitation to learn more on another page, and the use of H1, H2, and H3 headers can accomplish much of what a redesign would do, for far less expense.
Another important aspect of web page content is where the content focuses. Does it focus on the customer or on the company? Re-focusing content on the customer can make a major impact on click-through rates.
Am I considering a website redesign because I hope it will improve my business image?
Some websites do reflect negatively on the companies they represent. The content is sloppy. Broken links frustrate would-be customers. Yet, these are both issues that don’t require a redesign. Content can be replaced. Fresh pictures can be uploaded. Broken links can be identified and repaired. Clean up the existing site. These small upgrades can give new life to a website.
There are so many good templates to choose from, that most websites really don’t have a major structural issue. Content is the #1 issue for most websites. Deal with that, and your often remove the need to redesign the site.
Am I considering a website redesign when I can’t really afford it?
Look for options that don’t cost as much as a redesign. Hire a ghostwriter who is willing to work with you on content changes in a structured, financially feasible way. It’s far better to focus on a few pages at a time, evaluate the results and decide whether you want to move forward with more changes.
Do you have visitors to your website but very few of those visitors take action? Then it might be time to rethink your website design. Web design has the power to convert more prospects into leads and customers than most business owners realize. Achieving this goal is the #1 reason you should consider redesigning your website.
Redesign Your Website to Generate Leads and Convert Leads into Customers
As a business owner, your website has the potential to generate leads and to convert leads into customers, if you design it to do this. This is the most important reason for redesigning your website. All others don’t compare. Even re-branding isn’t as important.
Far too many business owners think of the business website as something they have to have while the site’s potential to grow the business is sadly overlooked. This is a missed opportunity. Even if 100% of your business comes from personal contact, having a website that is designed to lead contacts who visit your site to hire you, your website has accomplished one of its most important goals–conversion.
Your website is more than information source. It is a sales tool.
Elements of a Successful Website Redesign
What are the essential elements that should be considered in a website redesign?
- Your point of view. Most websites focus on what the business is. not on what it does for the customer. This is a serious mistake. The customer visits your site because he/she has a need. It should be apparent immediately that your business is the answer to that need. Content should have a customer-centered focus, not a me-centered focus. Typical me-centered content opens with “Business Y does X.” Customer-centered content would open with a solution your business has for their business. “Wondering how X could improve your bottom line?” Or “Business Y shows you how to stop X from hurting your business.” The difference might seem subtle, yet it has the power to make a major impact on lead flow and conversion.
- Layout. Three columns handled carefully can increase organic search results. For example, a news column on the left can help search engine optimization (SEO) by changing content on the page frequently for your business’ keywords. An offer for an Instant Quote or Free evaluation (or contact form), ebook offers, options to click on informational videos and testimonials perform well in the right column. Then make sure the content and visual impact of your central main panel is customer centered. Don’t have news content? Consider two columns.
- Keep vital information above the “fold.” This is a term that goes back to the newspaper era’s heyday. Today instead of referring to the fold in the middle of the newspaper, it refers to the bottom of the computer screen. Many sites include so many graphics at the top of the page, the customer has to scroll down to see what the website is about. NOT GOOD! Most potential customers will click away if they found you through organic search. Make sure your most powerful message is at the top. If you get that right, customers will scroll down the page.
- Your keywords. Don’t overlook the importance of optimizing your content for SEO. Google has moved away from using hidden meta keywords. Instead, it looks at your content–page titles, headings and content to rank your site. In order to be found through organic search, you must make sure your content is both of interest to potential customers and fits the search terms those potential customers will use.
- Add a blog. Blogs add new content to a website. This improves SEO because Google likes to see fresh content. It suggests a website is interesting and up-to-date. Even a once-a-week post can make a difference. If you don’t feel you can keep up with even that, then it may be better not to implement this idea. A blog that isn’t posted to doesn’t project the image of a company that is vibrant and excited about what it does.
Pay attention to these elements, and you can convert a website that does very little for growing your business into one that is generating income for your business. You pay for hosting your site every month. Why not experience more benefits from your investment?
