The online presence of your company can be just as important as your product or service. Did you know that more than half of your website visitors will determine your credibility solely based on the look of your website?

If you haven’t given your website a second thought since you first launched five years ago, it’s time to blow the dust off that URL and do a little spring cleaning. It might seem like a big undertaking, but we’re breaking it down. We’ve compiled a list of 7 elements that will help prepare you for a website redesign for an already existing website.

If you haven’t launched your website yet, check out our blog on Website Design. Remember, we offer free consultations!

What exactly is a website redesign? 

A website redesign is a change or update in code, content, structure or the visuals of your current website. A redesign can boost revenue, increase traffic flow, improve user experience and increase conversion rates. 

Determine your goals

Why is a redesign necessary? What do you want to accomplish? It’s better to focus on the results rather than your preference of the design. 

A redesign is commonly used to generate higher traffic flow and more loyal customers. You may have noticed a decrease in sales or user complaints. Your website may be outdated or overly complex.

Because technology changes and advances over time, a general rule of thumb is to redesign every two to three years. Following this rule keeps your website updated with the latest tech trends, provides a fresh look to your audience and a seamless user-friendly experience. 

Make a plan

Once you’ve determined your goals, it’s time to make a plan of action. There are generally two ways of completing a website redesign. 

The first method is to make slow changes over a period of time. Your customers will hardly notice a difference and it may be easier to navigate any risks involved in changing the layout or design of your website. However, it is a slow process and may take you longer to accomplish the goals for your company.

The second method is to make all your changes at once or in a very short amount of time. The amount of restructuring you plan to do will determine the reaction you get from your visitors. Drastic changes may leave your current visitors feeling shocked and confused in the beginning. However, your changes will happen fast, reaching your goals quicker. 

Define your branding and messaging

Some businesses use a website redesign as part of a rebranding initiative. Even if you’re not rebranding, define your brand and make sure your website and message communicate that to your customers. 

Your visitors should immediately understand what your business offers, how your product or services can benefit them, and why they should choose your company above others. 

Communicate your brand and message with:

• A mobile friendly website – Easily viewable on a desktop, laptop, phone, and tablet. 
• Social media integration – Add links to share or follow your company on social media.
• Color themes – Convey the purpose, mood, and attractiveness of your website.

Keep your users engaged by clearly communicating your goal with clean aesthetics and an organized layout design. Visitors won’t linger very long if they can’t quickly navigate their way around. 

Track your current performance metrics

Find a way to track your current website performance metrics. You need to know where your website stands and what exactly needs improvement. As you begin to redesign, you will continue to track the performance so you can see the success rates. 

A few important measurements include:

• Number of visits and visitors
• Bounce rate
• Time a user spends on your site
• Top performing keywords
• Total new leads acquired
• Total sales

Know your most valuable current pages 

Thoroughly examine and map out what’s doing well and determine what needs to be readjusted or rebuilt. Your performance metrics will help you determine these decisions. 

Similar to a house remodel, you wouldn’t start swinging the hammer and knocking down walls before examining exactly what needs to change and what should stay the same.

Pages that already receive high traffic and high conversion rates should stay mostly, if not exactly the same. There’s no need to redo something that’s already working well!

Know WHO is visiting your website

Approach the redesign with the customers in mind. Learn all you can about your visitors so you can shape your website strategy to those that matter most to you. 

It might be helpful to come up with a few different customer personas that would likely visit your website. For instance, if you are a ranch and farm real estate agent, you might target farmers, ranchers, or people looking to buy or sell land. 

You want to make sure that every inch of your website attracts your ideal customers. Everything from colors to graphics to wording should immediately propel your visitors to use your service or product.  

Measure the success of your website redesign

After you begin the process of your website redesign, you want to continue tracking the success of your redesign. Compare these performance metrics to the metrics you tracked on your original website. 

These measurements will help you visually see the success rates of your website and see if the changes are increasing your traffic flow and sales. 

Keep track of your website so you can stay on top of the changes and provide the best service for your customers.

Pro-Tip: Website redesign is never really done. Create an ongoing content strategy because customer preferences and technology will continue to change. 

Need a little extra help? Don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to walk you through the process of carrying out a successful redesign.

Rather than walking through the door of a physical building, the public now has access to your brand by the click of a button.

The same rules apply online as they did for the traditional customer interfaces in a storefront. You want to welcome any traffic that comes to your site by creating an online environment that encourages them to not only stay but to come back after they leave.

A website is an absolute must-have for your growing brand. The world of online business is highly competitive. Consumers have unlimited access to resources anytime, anywhere. The first thing that sets you apart from the competition is what consumers will see when they visit you online.

Choosing a custom web design allows you to make sure your visitors will have an experience that makes them want to come back. 

There are a number of qualified providers that can give you quick access to low-cost design templates that might work for your small-medium business. However, they simply cannot compete with the personalized product of a custom web design. 

Your unique business needs a unique website to match. Custom web designers take time to understand your needs and present a product that is specifically tailored to those needs.

SEO Implementation

SEO is the driving force behind online success. An online website has the ability to positively impact your business. Done correctly, websites have huge potential to generate business sales and leads. 

It is easier for search engines to pick up on custom websites, because a custom website allows you to include distinguishable terms in your URL.  When an internet user searches a term that is equivalent to the products and services your business provides, it is more likely that the search engine will suggest your website, especially if your URL includes the searched term.
Research from HubSpot indicates that up to 85% of people will not continue browsing web pages that aren’t secure. Some template-based designers won’t allow you to obtain an SSL certificate which provides security for your consumers when they visit your site.

Mobile compatibility

Because this is 2019, a majority of your website visitors are finding you on a mobile phone or tablet. A custom web designer will be able to devote the special attention that is necessary for developing a responsive, mobile-friendly design that continues to meet your particular business needs. 

If your website is not compatible on a mobile phone, then you are seriously missing the point of having online reach.

Growth-friendly + growth-driven design

Template-based designs are made to function within the parameters of the original template. When your business needs outgrow the capability of the template you may find yourself in a position that requires the services of a custom web designer afterall. 

Customization + personalization

Not all businesses are created equal. Not all websites are created to meet the needs of  a particular business. A custom web designer will be able to produce content that is directly in-line with the mission, vision and branding of your business. In the planning process, you will be able to research other websites and integrate the concepts you see on different sites. 

A custom web design will allow you to tweak your website and make adjustments that adhere to your brand’s style guide which will help you continue to show consistency in every facet of your business.  

Support

No one likes working with robots when technical issues pop up. Having the ability to contact someone who can help you if things go wrong on your website is an added bonus. Custom web design means custom support for web design issues. 

Check out this infographic that compares more pros and cons for custom and template web design.

Pro-Tip: Don’t hide behind your custom web design. Managing your website is crucial to making sure that you achieve the greatest return on your custom web design investment.

At BreveCo Marketing, we are dedicated to creating beautiful web designs that meet your business needs, but our services don’t stop there. A custom web design is only one step. We offer monthly website care plans to keep your website operating smoothly and SEO packages for business ready to make a name for themselves online.

Maintaining an innovative interface, creating SEO-friendly content, establishing a website that has flawless mobile device compatibility are all factors for success, and BreveCo Marketing wants to partner with you on each of these fronts.

Having an online presence in today’s world is like hanging the “open” sign on your small business’s door each day, it’s essential.

We live in the digital age, which is why it’s important for your brand to have a smoothly operating website that accomplishes exactly what you need and communicates well to your audience.

It’s important to have a viable online presence. In fact, studies show, more than half of your visitors will judge the credibility of your small business based on its website. In a quickly evolving digital age, that number is certain to increase.

Websites allow a unique space and cost effective way to display your brand on the world wide web as you wish to express your dream and your business. If your small business doesn’t have its own website in today’s environment, you’re business is really missing out on an integral part of business management. 

Believe it or not, the world wide web is full of websites that don’t adequately measure up to the business that they were designed to represent – and we at BreveCo really do not want your website to be one of them. Your website has at least one job. Whether you’re looking to make big sales, share your story, and/or end up with 30 page-one search results, your website’s priority is to effectively communicate with your audience. We have compiled eight essential elements that all websites need in order to be viable in today’s business market.

Eight Essential Elements for Any Website

Create a simple URL. 

Seriously, don’t make it complicated. When selecting the perfect domain name for your small business website, first and foremost, make sure it’s something that is short and easy to type. You’ve got to carry that domain name with you everywhere you go. Don’t try to send your audience to a–– supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.com––sort of site. I purchased my domain from GoDaddy. They also have an easy list to follow when it comes to selecting the perfect domain name.

Use fresh, quality content.

Often times, your website is the first impression for a customer or client. Make sure your website offers the information your audience wants. Use quality photos. A pixelated image can be the difference between a bounce or conversion. And don’t forget to keep your copy fresh and updated regularly. It will keep search engines loving your website and keep users coming back. 

Make sure your site is secure.

Secure sites aren’t only for websites that process payments. Well over 80 percent of people will abandon a website once they notice it’s not secure. Browsers like Google Chrome will clearly identify when a website lacks a secure connection. Protect your customers, protect your business and protect your overall brand reputation by obtaining a simple SSL certificate for your website. 

Display an obvious Call To Action. 

Let your website visitors know what their “next step” should be by displaying a very clear call to action throughout your site. Make sure to bring attention to your “next step” suggestion by using a special button or highlighting the text. Your website should guide them where to go. Make it stand out from the rest and make it easy for your website visitors to find. 

Make sure your design is mobile friendly. 

In today’s market, the  majority of your website visitors are finding you on a mobile phone or tablet. Welcome to 2019. While this doesn’t mean your website designer needs to jump ship on an exceptional desktop site, keep a responsive, mobile-friendly design in mind each step of the way. 

Don’t forget the contact information. 

Yes, you need your visitors to get in touch with you outside of your website! Make sure your contact information is easy to spot. It can be as simple as an email, phone number or social media sites. If your business is a brick and mortar, be sure to include your physical address. Contact information is best displayed on a page of its own and in your website footer.  

Keep your navigation bar simple and organized. 

A navigation bar is vital for every website. Being able to find one’s way around a website is a make or break experience for any website visitor. A simple and organized navigation bar leads to increased duration and decreases the chances of a bounce rate. Make sure the navigation bar itself is easy to navigate. 

Know the basics of SEO. 

Search Engine Optimization or SEO can be a bit of a beast to tackle, but your website doesn’t do a business much good if no one can stumble upon it. Even if you’re not looking to get into SEO strategies at least make sure your website is polished with the basics. Proper use of keywords, links, page titles, URLs, and image and video descriptions can do wonders for a site. BreveCo Marketing offers monthly SEO packages and one-time SEO enhancements when you need a boost.

Pro-Tip: Get yourself a fully-functioning website for your small business- and don’t forget those eight essential elements for any website.

At BreveCo Marketing, we create beautifully designed websites that meet your business needs.

Whether your current website design needs a fresh look, SEO-friendly content or you’re in need of a website design that looks flawless on a mobile device, BreveCo Marketing can meet all of your website needs.

We specialize in organized and beautiful engaging website designs that keep users coming back, and we wrap it around creative SEO-friendly copy that search engines will love.