It is a well-known saying that nothing stays the same except change, which is very true, especially in technology. Rapid advancements can be observed on the Internet and in the way people interact with web content. The same applies to your business website. Web development is a continuous process that ensures your website performs optimally.
In assessing the merits of a redesign, it would also be useful to take a step back and analyze how the design in question impacts user experience, and how it meets your business goals. For example, do users have access to the specific information they are looking for promptly? Does the website portray a positive user experience to potential clients or workers? Is the site overly complicated to navigate due to slow page loads or other technological inconveniences?
Website redesign, apart from changing the design of the site, includes other strategic transformations. A couple or more years in the progress of web technology can entail significant optimizations in the user experience, management, functionality, etc. Whenever you feel that your commercial website is failing in achieving the objectives of your business, then here are 10 Signs Your Business Website Needs a Redesign.
What is a website Redesign and Who Needs it?
Website Redesign refers to the process of changing the structure or visually upgrading the existing work on the website, its inner contents and user experience in general. It is more than just changing the design of an old website but strategic transformations. Transformations that are in line with the current design trends, technology levels and even business goals. More often the process involves predicting the website plan afresh, changing the content management system, and adding new features to provide active user participation.
These days web design does not only mean the front end of your website, but the back end too, web design as a process today is more inclusive of everybody’s rather all-out approach. This entails studying how users interact with the given interface pinpointing areas which are problematic within the design and optimizing features such as navigation how fast a user can move around the interface and the conversion percentage of that action. Hence the aim is to make a platform which is as efficient as possible, appealing to the eyes and most importantly reaching its target audience effectively without disrupting the elements of the brand.
The range of the work can be very wide for above 50% redesign and depends on your particular demands and ambitions. It can mean anything from downright redoing the floor plan’s structural elements to making tweaks in such aspects as mobile, SEO or online sales-specific improvement. Redefining the boundaries of the digital space does not only update the images that are displayed on a screen but also helps one achieve the basic and advanced goals of their enterprise.
Who Needs Website Redesign?
Before proceeding to specific situations, it is important to note that website redesign is not simply about rectifying the faults that exist in the current version – it is also about enhancing one’s presence on the internet, by the changes. With time, new technology and inventions are developed and the behaviour of users changes. Therefore, it is required for the website to change to promote the marketing and business goals of the entity effectively.
1. Businesses with Outdated Visual Designs
The perceived level of trustworthiness and credibility of the website is directly influenced by its design. For companies which still run flash-like animations on old gradients or backgrounds with rhythmically busy pictures cut and pasted on supposedly informative space, the overhaul is necessary. Today’s web users tend to clean and simple designs with easy-to-follow layouts and an obvious hierarchy of elements, not to mention the distribution of space. Using an old-fashioned style design can give the clients an impression of an unprofessional business or a business stuck in the past. Not only that their designs are usually old fashioned and with no room for modern design styles which embrace appropriate use of white space, fluid designs and other accessibility factors. A new look can help put in place modern design features that will give your brand the class and detail it deserves from the design without compromising the look of the site on any unit it is accessed with.
2. Businesses Experiencing High Bounce Rates
When your statistics indicate that users can access a few pages before leaving the website with no signs of engagement, then it tells that a need for a redesign arises. Bounce rate is the first thing users should look at because it shows where the problem lies regarding the user’s interaction on the website. A successful redesign can effectively solve these problems by bettering navigation, reducing load times and designing interactive content better. This involves looking deep into the waters of the users as the audience, looking for holes that would make a user pleasurable aspect of their experience and looking for cutting the length of time a user can be on the site. Paths should also be created within the design to allow easy access to the necessary information and the purpose of the site should be visible at first sight by any visitor.
3. Companies With Non-Mobile Friendly Websites
Apart from high bounce rates, having a conventional website that is not mobile responsive can also be a nightmare, especially at these times when mobile devices account for over fifty per cent of internet traffic. Every organization whose website design is not responsive, and thus cannot be viewed on any screen size effectively, should first consider the risk of redesigning the site. Mobile-first approaches in website redesign bring out the essence of the website even on the smallest of all screens which are smartphones and at the same to tablets and desktop computers. The redesign should also include different aspects such as responsive design, mobile content optimization, and functional touchscreen controls. The redesign should emphasize mobile features such as click-to-call and other simple navigation systems.
4. Companies Aimed at Improving Conversion
In instances where your site is not fully effective in converting visitors to customers or leads, optimization of the conversion funnel through redesign may be required. This entails more than just placing call-to-action buttons in different places. This calls for a complete user journey assessment and the introduction of conversion rate optimization (CRO). The primary goal of a tactical redesign is to enhance the form designs, re-organize the processes of purchasing, as well as construct better landing pages. It should address the elimination of all frustration-inducing sections of the user journey and the addition of features that would nudge a user towards the desired act. Redesign procedures should factor in the settling time of the A/B testing to address the conversion paths on a more effective basis.
5. Companies Having Technical Performance Issues
Websites that are under severe load, shoddy links, or undermined technical functionality encourage a need for a redesign since the latter concerns more of the superficial aspects of the website. Technical performance-related issues hinder both search engine and user interaction capabilities. It is in this sense that a complete overhaul of the site will involve all the necessary steps to modernize the web technologies and the way the code and database structures are built in addition to all the components of the site functioning together beautifully. This also means upgrading to better and quicker hosting, using content delivery networks (CDNs), and ensuring that every technical detail on the site is managed to facilitate trouble-free and dependable operation.
6. Organisations in Need Of Content Management System
In case your existing website is cumbersome when you want to perform updates or add-ons, you may have to consider a website redesign because this can allow for a more effective content management system (CMS). The content of the organization may change regularly or there could be a case when people may work simultaneously on the different pieces of the content management. The content management system after a redesign can enhance ease of content creation, increase the efficiency of work processes, and offer advanced content management and content delivery tools. The content management system also known as the CMS or the backend of the web application should aim at designing easy-to-use administrative designs and focus on automating most of the processes for content management.
7. Businesses Expanding Their Services Or Market
A website redesign is often needed for companies that have changed their business model, serviced additional services, or entered new industries. The redesign should be per the new business goals and new content requirements must be incorporated. Some of these include re-organizing the navigation system to fit new services, adding languages to the services offered where there will be an international expansion and ensuring that the website structure can be expanded in line to the business growth. In this situation, the focus of the redesign should be on the development of fluid templates and containment systems that will be required in the future for the branding of the company in all its sections.
10 Signs Your Business Website Needs a Redesign
In general, the website serves as the first interaction as well as the last interaction for potential customers and their businesses. In the hyper-efficient digital world of today, it is as important to identify the time for the overhaul of the site. Here are ten definitive signs that tell you it is time for a change in your website design:
- Poor Mobile Responsiveness: The failure of your site to operate correctly on devices is an urgent problem in this day and age of mobile devices. Mobile responsive design is not solely about cramming your website into the various screen sizes that are present in the market – it is all about user experience that is ideal irrespective of the device in use. Users do not like it when they have to interact with some content by zooming in and out vertically, or, worse, if the images on their mobile device do not adjust in size. This situation brings about annoyance often leading to losses. They wish the site was fast and effective working on their phones and tablets that have buttons that can be easily clicked and text that can be legibly read alongside properly aligned photos. This is a disadvantage to the user and can harm the search engine ranking of a website. A mobile responsive web design is no longer an option if your target audience or customers are to include smartphone users, as there are statistics which indicate that searches done via mobile devices are far over 60% therefore if your website has no mobility consideration, you could be losing more than half of your potential clients. To make matters worse, poor mobile responsiveness also signifies weaknesses in coding which may have other detrimental effects on the functionality of the entire website.
- Slow Loading Speeds: The loading speed of a website is no longer a technological aspect but one important element that determines how successful a business is. Research has established that the audience expects a response from a website in about 2-3 seconds, and every second added to the load also increases the chances of the viewers leaving the page. Loading speeds can be affected by many reasons such as images that have not been optimized, too many HTTP requests being made, too much coding and poor hosting services among others. This problem is much more pronounced when it comes to retail lines with a second lag in page loading leading to as much as a 7% reduction in the rate of conversions. Load time consideration is not only limited to how pleasant users are likely to feel but also to how well your site performs on search engines because page speed which loading speeds contribute to is one of the important ranking signals for both mobile and desktop searches. Today’s websites are expected to engage in several activities including the use of image compression, browser caching, minification of CSS and JavaScript files, and perhaps utilizing a Content Delivery Network (CDN) among other things to achieve the set objectives. The costs associated with poor loading speeds could be high, Amazon has calculated that 1 second of load time would result in a loss of up to 1.6 billion per year if sustained consistently.
- Outdated Design and Aesthetics: Visual aesthetics are very important in winning the trust of the people visiting your website. When a website has an old-fashioned design, it is likely to give the wrong impression of the business especially when the services rendered are of high quality. The latest trends in web design include the use of minimalist approaches, smart application of negative spaces, good-quality pictures and text that is easy to read without straining. More often than not, if the website still incorporates the design principles that were prevalent many years ago such as tiny texts, messy designs or colours that are no longer in trend, it is likely to lose potential clients even before they access any of the content. The reason for this is that in as much as the website seems attractive in terms of graphics, the psychology behind recognizing a website entails that users will judge it within 0.05 seconds of looking at it and 94% of first impressions are because of design. In addition, the design seems old-fashioned; it gives an impression as if the website does not have other features, which the users consider as basic, like the use of various functionalities with the help of graphs or videos or fluid motion inside the website along with directional flow. In addition, the old designs usually do not follow the design processes of the conversion paths that you want the users to take leading to loss of engagement and conversion.
- High Bounce Rate and Low Engagement: A bounce rate that is higher than 70% and other low engagement statistics is a clear red flag that your website is not performing at its optimal level for its target audience. An underlying cause may stem from several issues all at once, issues may be with the user experience, with the content being relevant or attractive to the audience or with users being lost due to navigation challenges. For instance, analytics that show many users entering, but leaving the site speedily without any other page visit means that the website has failed to articulate its intended message clearly or the user is unable to find things easily. Engagement statistics such as the amount of time users stay on the site, the number of pages accessed per session, and the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action reveal an important aspect of how effective & functional the website is. Users who disassociate from the website can pose problems mostly to service-centred businesses where trust and authority need to be built for the potential consumers. Research indicates that simple and well-structured sites tend to engage users 50% more than those that do not. In addition, tools such as heat mapping analytics and session recordings help to analyze traffic patterns and assist in identifying the challenges that need to be solved during the site redesign process.
- Lack of Search Engine Visibility: Poor search engine rankings can have a detrimental effect on your business’s online visibility and generating leads. If your website is not ranking on relevant searches with relevant keywords, this could either be a result of poor search engine optimization or you are using techniques that are deemed unacceptable by search engines. In modern times, a website can no longer be created without SEO considerations like headings, meta tags, and mobile responsive design. A website that was designed or developed a few years back is not likely to comply with today’s SEO standards such as usage of schema, accelerated mobile pages (AMP) or sensible internal linking. The visibility of a website can be adversely influenced by technical SEO aspects like unnecessary content, poor links or bad structure of the URLs. Research is also evident that web users tend to access only the first five pages of Google search engines and as such, positive search engine rankings are very important for success in the online arena.
- Difficult Content Management: Websites that are challenging to maintain and update often become dormant and lead to lost chances. An outdated or complex content management system (CMS) may cause problems like holding up the release of new content, making mistakes in correcting or updating existing material, and other issues that annoy staff. The modern web should have cost-effective tactical content management systems, which enable people with no technical skills to change their content, create extra pages, and handle pictures with ease. It can be a major disadvantage for any business if it is not able to make any changes to its content in reaction to competitors’ or consumers’ needs as this directly affects the content of the business. Furthermore, many of today’s content management systems (CMS) do not integrate vital aspects of online content management such as content scheduling management, revision history or search engine optimization (SEO) management which help in running a successful online business. The number of employee hours wasted on the phone with some helpline trying to figure out, especially a complex CMS can be channelled towards the redesign with an easy-to-use CMS and therefore the redesign of the site is worth the expenses incurred.
- Security Vulnerabilities: In this era where cyber threats are very common, websites must maintain high levels of security. If a website is not regularly updated, it may miss out on some of the pertinent security measures or it may be running on some of the older software versions that can easily be compromised. Any hacking activities can cause the loss of important data, damage to the company’s goodwill as well and exposure to a legal suit. Other than that, today’s websites require the adoption of many other security aspects such as SSL certificates, performing consistent security checks, and ensuring there are defences against vulnerabilities like SQL injections and XSS attacks. Another example would be the average of 3.86 million US dollars in data breach expense which underlines the Damage causation concerns in improving the security of information systems before one decides to redesign their website on most occasions.
- Inadequate Integration Capabilities: In the current online world, there is a need that your website to connect with other third-party services and tools as well as perform the functions without any friction. Should your website find it difficult to link with any contemporary website’s marketing tools, CRM system or e-commerce website, you require a facelift. Modern enterprises use different integrations for analytics, marketing, social media, payment, as well as customer services. If a certain website fails to communicate with those devices, it hampers the dynamics of process automation, data acquisition and pleasant customer interaction. Integration capabilities also define the scope for enhancement of features and adjustment of the business in case of changes. Being unable to integrate with the present-day systems leads to manual processes that are expensive and time-consuming cost potentially large growth and efficiency losses to your company.
- Inconsistent Brand Representation: Your website should portray what your brand identity is, the messaging, and values. When the design, content, and functionality of a website are out of sync with the present positioning of a brand, it causes disorientation In other words, core message consistency is very important in building recognition and loyalty. This encompasses the coordinated application of colours, typography, imagery and the articulate use of tone across the entire website. It has been estimated that the uniform presentation of a brand in all its forms may boost sales by as high as twenty-three per cent. Also, when brand changes occur in your business but the company website still promotes the old design, such a thing can distort the present-day concept of what services or products you have.
- Limited Functionalities and Features: Even worse is if your site is already several business generations behind, lacking today’s features that competitors have or that clients expect. Description of the latest necessary elements in corporate websites, Modern websites should have features such as interactivity, personalization, advanced searching, and easy checkout. The lack of such core functionality as contact forms/booking systems/e-commerce sphere will push people to your rivals. In addition, it is efficient nowadays to add web design elements such as chatbots, filters, wish lists, and social proof to the website functionality The inability to add features because of the technology in use can restrict the growth of your Business in response to the ever-changing tastes and preferences of the consumers.
Want to redesign your business website? Contact us!
At Colourmoon Technologies, we focus on optimizing the growth of a business by transforming traditional websites into modern digital assets. With years of experience, designers, developers, and digital strategists comprehend that a website redesign goes beyond simple aesthetics; it is a means to transform the whole online experience and meet certain business goals.
Our best website redesign strategy consists of futuristic technology and creative skills and it is something we are fond of. We start by investigating the existing website, its users, and business objectives. Then we develop a custom fit re-design strategy that embraces newer design techniques, the best user experience, and strong features to rise above the present curve of competition for the new website. Colorumoon Technologies can do what is needed whether that is minimal or complete redesign of the website. Our successfully completed website redesign projects performed in different industries give us confidence that you would want us to be part of your digital transformation. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can improve your online performance and business through a strategic website redesign.
Conclusion
Website redesigning is a very important step for any business looking towards the future, assuring them of survival even in a very aggressive digital marketplace. For example, from enhancing user experience and mobile friendliness to increasing safety and additional aspects of functionality, the merits of a good redesign are many and enduring. Especially when faced with challenges that call for redesigning the website, recognizing them and taking the measures beforehand will be vital in making sure that the website remains an effective marketing and customer care that achieves its objective. Work with a professional company like Colourmoon Technologies who do not only focus on the technicalities of website redesign but also the business strategy and objectives of the organization so that the online presence they design for you will meet your business goals.