Is it time to redesign your website? Well… maybe. How do you know when it’s time for a site redesign? Sometimes it’s hard to tell when you should stick to making simple improvements, or when you’d be better off pulling the trigger on a complete redesign.
Here are a few reasons you might want to consider pressing the reset button and getting a full website redesign for your business or ecommerce store.
photo credit: patrick h. lauke
Your site looks outdated. When you compare your website to those of your competitors, does yours seem a little dated? Look beyond your logo and branding. Do your fonts seem old, or do your graphics look like they came out of a clip art repository? Are your product photos low resolution or hard to view at full size?
If the majority of your site is starting to look dated, and you’re not sure you can update all of the elements to form a cohesive “look,” it may be time to consider a redesign.
Your CMS is difficult to use. If your content management system drives you up a wall, it might be time for a change. A modern CMS makes it easier than ever for webmasters to update content, add links, include photos, and publish pages on the fly. If your CMS seems to hinder your progress instead of helping it — or worse, if you don’t have a CMS at all — it might be time for an update.
More often than not, a CMS update requires at least a partial website redesign, since the old CMS is what was used to build your current site. However, new content systems usually add new functions and features that you will want to incorporate in your site.
photo credit: sunface13
You’re starting to hear complaints. Are customers frequently calling and asking how to use your search bar? Is your customer service department bugging you because the pages load slowly (or not at all)? Has your CEO even asked you why the company website is so bad? If you’re hearing complaints like this, it’s definitely time for a redesign.
It doesn’t fit your branding. If you changed your logo or corporate branding, you probably should have changed your website to match. Unfortunately, some smaller brands don’t have the time and resources to do this before the new branding launches. To ensure a consistent experience for all customers, it’s probably best to redesign your website so everything looks the same.
You just hate using it! Maybe it’s the CMS… maybe it’s the outdated graphics… maybe it’s the way searching for products takes forever and never returns the right results… maybe it’s all three of these things. If your gut is telling you that it’s time for a redesign, listen to it! Chances are, if you aren’t happy with it, your customers aren’t happy with it, either.
If you know you need a website redesign ,or just want to explore your options, contact a company like Inbound Marketing Inc. for assistance. Reputable marketing companies like ours can help you identify issues with your current site, brainstorm wants and needs for your redesign, and create compelling, modern site designs that are sure to make everyone happy.
How did you know you needed a website redesign? Share your experiences with us in the comments!