5 killer tips when re-designing a website

Main secrets

A lot of people feel overwhelmed when considering the task in re-designing a website. ‘Where do I start’, ‘what is the best practice process’, and ‘how much is it going to cost’ are all commons questions that hang over peoples’ heads. However you can quickly address these queries; here’s a quick 5 step plan to get you website ready in little time:

Get the right people involved.

It’s important to know where your strengths lie in adding value to the re-design process, however equally it is important to get the right people in place to support in the website delivery. Do your research and meet up with your freelancer/agency. A face-to-face meeting provides an opportunity to build rapport, forge trust and get a real sense of their capabilities.

Situational analysis and competitor set

Understanding your current website performance is essential to identifying where the site’s strengths and weaknesses are. If you struggle with this yourself, ensure that your freelancer/agency are doing this for you. Topline metrics will include the number of visits, bounce rate, time on site, current SEO rankings and total amount of sales generated. Don’t forget to also consider what your competitors are doing, providing some real insights. Compile a competitor set list and observe what they’re doing to engage/convert sales.

Know your KPIs and Online Value Proposition (OVP)

From the situational analysis, you can make some deeply informed decisions about how to enhance your site, because if you’re considering a re-design, there needs to be a good reason for it. Make sure that you’re identifying some very measurable goals to ultimately determine the effectiveness of the website. Metrics such as the bounce rate, time on site, number of new leads, total amount of sales generated, etc. are all great values to measure against.

Use personas

Speak to your freelancer/agency and ask if they embrace a ‘user centered’ design mindset. It essentially means that the site is designed with the user as the priority, not just about the company or a pretty design. When re-designing your site, use all the insights from the situational analysis, in addition to some effective user tracking tools, which will help you gain some fantastic visibility around your site users. Then compile your target buyer personas to really paint the picture of who you want to engage with.

Re-design with search in mind

Content is so important in enhancing your site’s visibility, whilst providing user’s with valuable content to engage and convert them. Draw up an SEO playbook of keyword research, in addition to a content calendar of information you’ll provide throughout the year. Understanding your strongest SEO opportunities is so important in keeping your site fresh and visible in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Quick tip – planning is everything!

The key to unlocking a fantastic website re-design is through planning and being organized. Having the right people in place will certainly help in supporting you through the journey, as it doesn’t need to be done alone. Remember the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives…