I am sure this is a question you asked yourself quite often. “How often do I need to redesign my website?” And you are right, pretty much everyone has asked themselves this question. Technology changes all the time, design trends as well. However there is also a few other things to keep in mind when you think of a website redesign.

The Interface

This is the front end of your website, and most likely what you have in mind when you are thinking of website redesign. The interface is what will help your visitors navigate on your website. It will also drive calls to action, and conversions. This is definitely a very important part of your website. The calls to action and conversions will drive leads to your website, therefore create revenue.

The Features

Is there something your current website is “NOT” doing and you would be gladly adding to the new version. First of all, are you selling online? If not, would it be something that you would be interested in doing? There is also industry specific features. We mentioned the IDX features in our multiple real estate marketing articles. It could as well be simpler features, such as newsletter subscription and email marketing, scheduling integration and many more other features. Let’s figure out what you are missing, and what you are wishing.

Can your system accept your website redesign?

Now, we are not only dealing with redesign, but redevelopment. What system are you using? Can it handle the new features and the new look that will bring you success? The constant evolution of some CMS, like WordPress which we are using exclusively, is a very important part of the system. Being able to utilize the content you have been using for a few years now without disrupting the SEO and the links built throughout the years is important. It will prevent you from getting errors and “Page Not Found” errors. Not all systems are built the same, and some don’t support evolution well.

How is your website connected to Social Media?

Social Media will assist you by generating traffic and to generate a qualified audience. We are talking about inbound marketing. The leads are coming to you because of the content you are posting, instead of you reaching out to them and try to sell them something. Facebook and Instagram for B2C Marketing, Twitter and Linkedin for B2B Marketing.

SEO, has it been setup right?

Now let’s look at something else, the SEO, Search Engine Optimization. That is the traffic generation, and audience generation tool. How does Google perceive your website, how is the evolution of your SEO throughout the years that you have used this website? Has there been content improvement, Roller Coaster type of curve, or straight decline? That is also something to look at.

When we started to develop websites, it was like “Filling a vase”. I remember clients with “model/year” types of products in the action sports industry. Therefore we had to design websites every year to present the new product collection, with a big release that was expected. But between the two websites, not much work was done in between, only “event” related information and no regular content scheduled publication.

On the other hand, now it is more like “Lighting a Fire”, if you don’t fuel the fire, it will die. With a google algorithm always evolving, we cannot focus enough on the importance of content marketing. Having your website updated with content regularly is key. If you think, “If I redesign my website, my SEO is going to go up”, it could definitely be true, but you have to keep in mind that there will need to be regular content added to it. And no, if you put three content articles in one week and then don’t do anything for three months… Frequency and regularity are key.

“Do I need to redesign my website” timeline?

To answer the question. If you are already in a mindset that gets you to ask yourself “Do I need to redesign my website?” it means that you need to redesign it. The lifespan of a website interface is usually around two to three years. This is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind. Now, let’s look at the timeline, if you are a current client, the timeline will be shorter as we would not need to do an audit and “best practices” action plan.

However if you are not a current client of ours, we will start by proving you an audit of your current solution and situation. This will give us a starting point on where we will start the redesign process. In addition we will present you with an action plan, that will detail the best practices on getting your new website up to the current best practices and compliance to the current performance and security standards.

In conclusion, the redesign of website could be as simple as an interface update/facelift, but can turn into a redevelopment with more features, and SEO optimization.

Let’s see where you are, fill in the form below, and we will provide you with a comprehensive audit and action plan.