Website Redesign: How to plan a successful redesign project

Website redesign … we sense a heavy toll on our heads as we think of all the reasons people jump to the conclusion of needing a redesign:

“My CEO hates our site...”

“I just don’t like my website anymore…”

“We need to redefine our brand and marketing strategy, so we hope this will help our direction…”

“We think it needs to be more trendy…”

No matter your reason, you need to be wary about website redesign. Many companies redesign for the wrong reasons and spend vast amounts of time and money on things that bring little to no benefit.

Website redesign should be taken seriously by any business – it should be a marketing activity that helps achieve your goals and move your business in the right direction.

So, to help get the most benefits for your business, this post will show you everything you need to know about website redesign.

Strategic Planning: Where are you today?

Every successful website starts with evaluation and preparation. While redesign and development are essential, the real commitment starts long before layouts are remade, and code is rewritten. 

That means you should first evaluate your current website to figure out the ups and downs. Start with a big picture goal, and how a fresh new or improved site can help you reach those goals. 

• Is there a mismatch between what your current website does and what you'd want your ideal website to do? Shorten sales funnels? More leads? Better reach to customers? 
• Aesthetically is your website design ready for a younger audience? Does your website content sync with your brand identity guidelines and business culture?
• Are more clear and convincing calls to action needed to be included on every page? 

What do your users need?

In a digital era where website success means a lot, it's crucial that you understand your customers. 

Regardless of whether you target one specific audience or more diverse users, you need to consider their needs, preferences, and find ways to communicate with them better. These considerations should drive your website redesign decision making.  

This analysis of your users and their needs is known as the website personas report, and it will help you create optimized content, smarter conversion strategies and position solid calls to action that get results. Then you will be able to come up with a better website layout to create the best UX for those target audiences. 

Listen to the numbers. 

So, you've put together your website personas report, and you want to turn it to hard numbers. In this case, individual web metrics and actual statistics will help you answer vital questions, including: 

• What do you know about your audience?
• Is SEO pushing your website traffic? What keywords help you rank and what don't? Is most of your traffic coming from users from your target audience?
• What site activities or trends are you measuring on a daily basis?
• How many conversions are you gaining per day/week/month?

While your current website may track some data, not all your conversion and metrics will be as high as you imagined. And that's progress too. You can take note of your starting point and make a list of other types of info you'd like to obtain.

Define Your Redesign's Purpose

Everything you've gathered so far will help you build a solid strategy for your website redesign project. Look through your findings and set aside some time to create a master plan. This will help you answer questions like:

• Once the new website launches, what results will you need to gauge to have an ROI?
• What role does the site play in your company's overall marketing plan?
• Are your goals for the brand and website realistic? If yes, when?
• What other factors could impact the relative success of your website?  
• How often will you track and report on various success measures?

Website budgeting: How much should my new website cost?

Is it possible to take my website from plain and boring to brilliant without busting the budget? Maybe. Many businesses do part of the work in-house and then are shocked to find out that expenses are higher as they count in the cost of employee time.

As you ponder on how much a site redesign project may cost, you should also ponder on the value and return on investment potential your brand-new website will bring. You should start by reframing your viewpoint strategically and thinking about marketing as a whole:  

• Consider the web design project from the perspective of your overall marketing plan – a well-planned website redesign also includes copywriting, marketing, SEO, technical skill, coding, and analytical ability. These factors will influence more than just how your website will look. They offer functionality that turns your site into a selling tool.
• An ideal website should function as a member of your sales team. So ask yourself: Would you make a long-term employee’s salary and benefits a line item for one year only?

Recap and Resources

The best website redesign starts with making strategic plans that include user needs, allocating the right resources and budget, and partnering with the right site. A redesign project should not be your second priority or just a hasty decision for your business.

Going into a redesign project with a well-thought-out strategy will help you reduce timelines, keep costs down and improve results – it's time spent, but if done properly, it can be a game-changer for your business.

Regardless of what you're trying to change, when you're initiating the website redesign process, you'll either double your online search, lessen user friction, improve user experience, or create higher conversions. No matter what your goals is, if you follow this plan, and consider some of the suggestions, you'll be staring at a new project that reaps the benefits as well as creating something your audience will appreciate.