Digital makeovers: 10 reasons to redesign your website

The importance of your website is hard to overstate. It is often the first point of contact between your organisation and potential clients; if not, it will certainly be a touch point during their relationship with you. And it is definitely something on which you will be judged (even if sub-consciously). Does it sit happily alongside the rest of your clients’ interactions with you? Does it work well? Can information be accessed easily? Does it look good? Is it a pleasure to use? Even if all the answers to these questions were yes in the past, how do you know when it is time to revisit the design and start again?

Your website serves as your virtual storefront, conveying your brand identity, values, and offerings to a global audience. As technology and design trends evolve, the need to redesign your website becomes inevitable. But when is the right time to embark on this transformation, and why is it crucial for the success of your business? Let’s look at several factors that may affect your decision.

1. Design

Is your website’s design starting to feel stale or outdated? Take a critical look at your website and identify elements that could benefit from a refresh. Look for inspiration from websites you admire, noting design aspects that resonate with you and your organisation.

2. Branding alignment

Does your current branding align seamlessly with your website design, or does it feel incongruous? Perhaps you have a very traditional, even old-fashioned logo juxtaposed with more modern elements. Consider whether a rebranding project is necessary before diving into the redesign process. Ensure that your website reflects your brand identity in a coherent way.

3. Content management system

Does your content management system (CMS) allow you to edit the website easily? Consider whether your website editors have the tools and capabilities they need to manage content effectively. As part of many redesign projects, we help clients migrate to WordPress from less popular or powerful CMS platforms.

4. Functionality and marketing

Are there new features or functionalities that could enhance your website’s impact on your business? Explore opportunities to integrate marketing tools, improve user engagement, and drive conversions through enhanced functionality.

For example:

• members of your team can harness the content on your website and turn profiles and practice area content into PDF brochures to share with clients;
• client onboarding workflows can be channelled through client portals and extranets;
• enquiries from the general public can be tracked from the point of submission, all the while automatically complying with the GDPR.

5. User experience

Do you have a good understanding of how users interact with your website? Use analytics and user feedback to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement. Prioritise user experience enhancements to create a seamless and intuitive browsing experience. We can add various tools to your website to determine exactly what visitors do when they are on a specific page on your website.

6. Competitor analysis

Is your website keeping pace with competitors in your industry? Conduct a thorough analysis of competitor websites to identify trends, benchmark performance, and identify areas where your website can improve or stand out.

7. Advancements in technology

Has anything changed in the world web design that renders your website out-of-date? Ensure that your website is responsive across various devices and incorporates the latest best practices to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Older sites can benefit from a rebuild to refresh archaic code; this can improve stability and speed. It is particularly important to ensure that you are running an up-to-date version of PHP.

8. Sustainability

Would you like the new design to prioritise sustainability and reduce your website’s carbon footprint? Explore eco-friendly design practices and consider integrating sustainability initiatives into your redesign strategy. A sustainable web design audit is a good place to start. In addition to identifying measures you can take to improve your website’s carbon footprint, we will calculate your current website’s carbon footprint to set a baseline data point, we can then work with you to set a page weight goal that will reduce your carbon footprint.

9. Performance optimisation

Are you satisfied with the speed and performance of your website? Prioritise performance optimisation to ensure fast loading times and smooth navigation, enhancing the overall user experience. You have three seconds to make an impression! Check out our website healthcheck post to learn more about the benefits of performance optimisation.

10. Accessibility enhancements

Would you like the new design to better support users with visual or mobility issues? An accessible website design audit will flag up how much work is required to make your website compliant with the desired accessibility standard (AA WCAG 2.2 should be your goal). It will identify missing accessibility features such as alt text for images, keyboard navigation, and colour contrast adjustments required to ensure inclusivity.

Other considerations

Before embarking on a redesign project there are two other pieces of the puzzle it is a good idea to nail down: scope and support.

Scope of redesign

Does the update require a complete overhaul of the website, or could smaller changes suffice? Determine whether a full redesign or incremental updates, such as new imagery or fonts, would achieve the desired outcome. It could be that quick wins will save you (or at least defer) the expense of a full redesign project.

Politics / internal consensus

Is there a collective desire among your colleagues or team members to redesign the website? Even if there is nothing ‘wrong’ with a website, sometimes a change in leadership or the makeup of a marketing committee can lead to a redesign. Assess internal feedback and ensure alignment on the need for a redesign before proceeding. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t have support for the project.

A website redesign is a strategic investment in the success of your business. By carefully considering these key questions and thoughtfully addressing each aspect, you can embark on a redesign journey that revitalises your online presence, enhances user experience, and drives business growth.