Once you’ve gone through the process of creating a website, the last thing you want to think about is website redesign. However, to be satisfied with your online presence, you’re going to need to stay on top of new trends, monitor how well your current site is doing and find ways to keep your site relevant, you may benefit from a redesign.
In some cases, this means collecting information from analytics to see what you could be doing differently. This helps you create a site that is stronger and more efficient. There are various warning signs which often suggest that your website may benefit from a redesign:
1) Customer complaints:
One of the most obvious hints that you need a website redesign will be if you get consistent complaints. For example, if you get a lot of email about trying to locate specific products, or emails that state that your site is malfunctioning, hard to navigate or somehow offensive to the eye, this is a perfect sign that you will need to go through a redesign.
2) Your sales figures are dropping:
If you have noticed a drop in sales figures, and customers just don’t seem interested in what you have to offer, you may need to find a way to get their attention again. Highlighting different products is an excellent way to accomplish this, but it may not be enough. Sometimes, adding an entirely new design or extra features is what it takes to get those sales figures back where they should be.
3) Your repeat business has declined:
If your site always looks the same, this gives visitors the impression that you have nothing new to offer. We’re not saying that you need to redesign your site every month altogether, but if it has been awhile, you should consider making a change. Just remember to keep your branding intact when redesigning, so you don’t lose all of that hard work you put into building up your brand.
4) Your error logs are showing an increase in broken images or links:
It’s a good strategy to explore your error logs periodically to see what is going wrong with your site. If you see a lot of ‘404’s or ‘Image does not exist’, this is a sign that there are a few things on your site that are not functioning as they should be. A redesign can be a solution to address these issues.
5) You have not met your goals:
Sometimes, when a site fails to perform as expected, design flaws may be to blame. A website redesign can help you refocus your goals and find new ways of meeting them.
6) You have used your website for long without making any changes:
If your site is still using methods and technologies that were in style a few years ago, then it certainly has to be modified. If you still use tables and frames on your website, then it’s time to give a steady consideration to redesign the site.
7) Your site’s search engine ranking is dropping:
If you note that the search engine ranking of your website is going down, it is perhaps time to make a change to the design of your website. The rank of a website in search engines can drop because search algorithms are usually modified from time to time so as to provide better search results, as well as enhance the experience of the user. This means that you have to keep your site updated regarding the design as well as content.
8) Your website is not mobile friendly:
It has become a common practice, to have many internet users utilize their smartphones when they want to access the internet. This means that if your website doesn’t accommodate smartphones and tablets comfortably (responsive website), then it is time you consider redesigning your website.
9) You have made a change to the brand on your site:
If you deal with a particular brand, and your site contains the information about the product that existed before renewal, then it means that you have no option other than to redesign your website, so as to keep your customers updated with the relevant information.
10) Your site takes too long to load:
If your site takes too long before loading the contents required, then you need to be aware that it urgently needs redesigning. The reason for that is if someone happens to visit your site as a client and they note that the loading is slow and unreliable, they will likely get tempted to leave such a website. As a result, you then lose a lot regarding the benefits which you previously gained from your site.
In conclusion, you will want to acknowledge the circumstances mentioned above and make the necessary changes to your site if you still want your website to remain relevant to you and it’s users. You, however, need to note that making use of a professional web developer should be your preference if you decide to redesign your site.
