Is it time for a website redesign?
Website redesigns are exciting and give you a chance to reimagine the way you want consumers to perceive your brand online. When you partner with a web design company that shares your vision, you have every reason to look forward to a brand-new, beautiful website that captures your vision.
That being said, whether this is your first redesign or your 10th, mistakes are always possible. It’s hard to keep track of so many moving parts of a website redesign, and it can set you up for mistakes that subtract from the overall product.
So, whether you’re in the middle of a website redesign or considering it, here are some mistakes to avoid.
#1: Designing Without Considering Functionality
Even if you take the time to redesign a website with outstanding graphics and coordinated colors, if you get no new traffic, then you’re not using this tool to its full potential. A common mistake in website redesigns is not designing your website with functionality in mind.
What does functionality look like? It can mean a lot of different things. You have to have a website that’s mobile friendly, considering how many modern consumers browse websites from their phones. If your site only looks good on a desktop, you’re likely going to lose a lot of potential customers.
Functionality also means that it needs to be easy to make a purchase from your site. Tools like calls to action are essential. When you have a user on a page, they shouldn’t have to search for the “Learn More” or “Call Now” button, so make sure to integrate this into your website design. The more functional and practical your site is, the more traffic you’ll generate.
#2: Keeping Content That Doesn’t Work
If you have a large site, or are redesigning an older site, you’ve probably got a lot of content to preserve and organize. During your redesign, you’ll do a content audit, and this is an important time for considering which information is worth saving.
If you keep pages that are underperforming and outdated, you’re only doing your website and your business a disservice. By letting go of this content, you have a cleaner, easier to use interface to work with. You also have a complete understanding of the content that is on your site, and you can feel confident knowing that visitors won’t stumble on an old piece of writing that doesn’t reflect your standards.
This doesn’t mean you should delete all old content, because sometimes old content withstands the test of time. But if you aren’t satisfied with a visitor reading a page — it probably shouldn’t exist.
#3: Forgetting About Images
Between content, layout, design, and all of the other components of a website redesign, sometimes we forget that images are still very important to the visitor experience. Make sure your images are sized and formatted correctly. If you have some large images, make sure to talk with your team about size compression so your page doesn’t take forever to load.
#4: Not Having A Long-Term Plan
Once your website redesign is complete, it can be tempting to take a seat for a few months. But this is a critical time to stay on top of how your new website is performing, what is working, and what isn’t. Set some short and long term goals for your website, and track those goals regularly to stay consistent. If you’re investing in a website redesign, you want to make sure it works. If this seems like too much to keep track of, consider investing in SEO and website services for professional help.
#5: Separating Copy From Design
This is an easy mistake to make, especially if your design team and writers work independently of one another. But it’s a big mistake to think that your website design and copy will not work with one another on every single page.
Copy length usually depends on SEO, which means copy and content often dictate page templates. If you have a page over 1,000 words, you certainly need more than one call to action. That’s why it’s critical that your writers and designers are conversing with one another, and working through pages together. Think about what design will best highlight your content, and the steps you need to take to make that possible.
Need Website Redesign? | About ADVAN Design & Marketing
If you’re seeking a website design company that can help you create the site of your dreams, then ADVAN Design is here to help. ADVAN is a close-knit team of graphic designers, writers, strategists, and SEO specialists who can make your website your top digital marketing tool.
When you need a website redesign, logo design, or other marketing services, contact ADVAN or visit http://sandbox.advandemo.com/ today.
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