Website design is a continuous job which requires inputs from the user online habits, technology upgrades, business improvement, etc. Hence, the website redesign phase is more or less a part of the web design cycle, executed throughout its life cycle. In the era of online business overshadowing the offline business, the need for redesigning must be recognized in its early stages and worked upon accordingly. Understanding why does a website require redesigning helps in identifying the factors which prompt its requirement.
Why the need for redesigning:
There are many factors which must be studied with a critical approach before the decision to redesign a website is reached. An online business requires the professional to study the market constantly for technological upgrades, user convenience and habits so that the online representation of the business, reflects the same in its website. Listed below are few factors which prompt the need to redesign a website.
- Changes in hardware/technology: With each browser updates, mobile upgrades and software updates, a business website must incorporate these changes so that, it is always easy to access from any mobile device/network/software. With the increase in the number of mobile users, it is but a mandatory requirement to have a business app which works across mobile OS platforms. Also, the population which accesses the website from conventional PCs/tabs/laptops, and other modes of internet devices, must not be neglected. Hence any new upgrade for browser/mobile OS app must be taken as an indication for necessitating redesign of your website.
- Trends in Internet/computer usage: People are now more internet savvy, and spend maximum time on the web. This increased online activity must be studied extensively. The findings give valuable date pertaining to user expectation and online habits which can be used to design products and websites. The simplest form of website redesign begins by showcasing the product which is among the popular user searches. Many websites observe an increase in online traffic, owing to a good landing page which is redesigned to suit to user product preferences.
- Addition of Product/Service: When a company/business has launched a new product or service, this information must be included with new structure. This prompts the need to redesign your website.
- Be open to the possibility for improvement: Website performance must be monitored regularly to reap benefits from the ever increasing online traffic. For example, if the website observes a moderate bounce rate, studying the reason that caused the user to quit the website is an important necessity. To do so, the webpages via which the user landed to the homepage, search keywords which caused the user to open this webpage must be studied. This information helps one identify the aspects in the website which need improvement. Any improvement in the website comes under the web redesign phase.
- Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end: Any change or improvement in the website seems to be difficult at first and need an action out of comfort zone. Change is really hard and risky at the same time but every change must be given sufficient transient time to provide results. Changing a web design may even turn messy, but the end product is gorgeous to look at and reaps good benefits.
All the above-mentioned factors prompt that you take appropriate action to redesign your website. If any of the above factors is true, then it is right time to redesign your website.
Either your website is responsive or terrible:
Lets be straight forward. If your website is a usual commercial website with frequent mobile users then wither its responsive or its terrible. Since the majority of visitors that make up the online audience comes from the mobile platform, the responses may swing to the positive or negative side, too abruptly.
Make a to-do list:
Before ordering the redesigning of a website, it is imperative that a thorough research is done to frame a to-do list which highlights the aspects needing improvement in a website. Web application building, mobile apps, email hosting, are few other aspects which must be concentrated upon besides web building. One can get a professional to analyse the website and provide a detailed report regarding aspects requiring changes, or the in-house web building team can compare the website with the competitor’s website and suggest the necessary changes. Having a detailed report or a simple to-do list is the prime necessity for web redesign.
Do not take redesign too far:
A web redesign should never leave out the branding style of the business or its vision. The branding style dictates how the online audience perceive the company/business. Landing pages ought to provide glimpses of the company’s vision. Any amount of website redesign should not alter this aspect. A website design should be creative, strategic, functional without tapering the company vision and branding.
Once you are done with the research and list of things to look into the website, you are good to go ahead with the project. A website redesign is a continuous process requiring close monitoring from the in-house web design team or the professional website redesigning company.