For every site owner at some point the question "should I redesign" will pop up.
Why? Because-
- The internet is constantly changing. New screen sizes, media formats, and layout possibilities.
- Businesses change, shifts in your focus and your product line up will affect how customers engage with your site, what they're looking for, and what benefits you the most.
- Competition and markets are changing, and you want to stay ahead of them.
- Humans get bored seeing the same thing again and again.
Give a site 4 or 5 years and these factors will start to show.
Welcome to a joyful thing I call internet entropy. It's real, and it's stronger in some industries and markets than others.
Deciding when, why, and how to redesign
There's a right way to do this.
In an ideal world, you want to be very data-driven about the changes you're making to your site, otherwise you'll just be guessing on whether it's needed, and "what works best."
The general approach is;
- Review & evaluate the site
- Review & evaluate the market
Evaluating Your Site
When I evaluate a rebuild for a client, I do a full site audit where I look at three health indicators;
- The SEO. Where it's strong, where it's weak, and how it represents the business and business goals.
- The current traffic. Who is visiting, what are they looking at and how do they interact with the site.
- Conversions. What are the conversion paths, and how can they be improved?
The purpose is to identify the problems and opportunities.
What Do I Measure?
How and what you measure will depend a lot on your site design. For most sites, the value can be measured in conversions, such as;
- Product sales
- Service bookings
- Enquiries such as contact-us form submissions
For other sites that are more informational, success might be measured differently;
- Social media shares
- Email newsletter subscriptions
- Time on site, and scroll depth
Start from your end goal and work backwards to identify how well your site is performing at the things you need most.
If you're not clear on what to measure- every site exists for a reason. Why does yours exist?
Measurement Tools
Many sites do not have the "piping" in place for good data capture- which is essential. You need to know if your site is working, and how well, or else every decision you make is a wild guess.
Popular tools include;
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Google Tag Manager ( or others, like Zaraz )
- Automations and custom lead logging systems
- SEO Analysis tools, like Screaming Frog and AHrefs
- Deep log-capture tools, like Posthog
Webflow's new Analyze feature looks promising- but does not yet currently offer specific conversion-tracking capabilities which makes its value limited for this purpose.
Evaluating the Competition
Look at other competitor sites as well, because they set an expectation for the UX.
If a competitor's site is easier or more fun to use, it's probably time to rethink your site's approach.
Pick key features and ideas that competition is using well, and consider adopting them in your design.
- Product search features
- Site-wide search features
- AI and chat widgets
- FAQs
If competition is consistently outranking you, look at them from an SEO perspective;
- Page titles, H1's, technical SEO.
Other Signs You Need a Redesign
- Outdated Design: If your website looks outdated or does not reflect your brand's current identity, it may be time for a refresh.
- Poor User Experience: If users are struggling to navigate your site or if your bounce rate is high, a redesign could improve usability.
- Mobile Responsiveness: With the increasing use of mobile devices, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly is crucial. If your site does not perform well on mobile, consider a redesign.
- SEO Performance: If your site is not ranking well in search engines, a redesign that focuses on SEO best practices could help improve visibility.
- Changing Business Goals: As your business evolves, your website should reflect those changes. If your goals have shifted, a redesign may be necessary to align your site with your current objectives.
