There are many good reasons to update your website, from keeping up with the latest mobile devices to ensuring the best possible user experience for your customers. Updating your website is a constant process, and small improvements really add up over time. However, there are also times when a full redesign is necessary, whether due to performance or simply a desire for fresh website design for your Calgary business.
We’re here to help you through your redesign, from the planning process to the launch of your shiny new online property. Every successful website redesign depends on strong preparation, so we’ll start with a series of tips to help you prepare.
Streamline Your Redesign by Saving Your Assets
Opting for a redesign doesn’t mean that your current website is poorly designed as is. Technology changes, trends evolve, and redesigns are simply a part of digital life. That means your current website likely has pages, content, and features worth saving. Your analytics will help you identify which assets to save, and which areas of your site could use a totally fresh start.
- Start with a general appraisal of how many pages your site features, and how each page is performing. If a page is generating strong pageview numbers, inbound links, or social media activity, you may want to include it in your redesigned site.
- Keywords are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO). If your current site’s SEO is yielding great results in your search ranking, you’ll want to carry that over to your redesigned website as much as possible.
- Saving content doesn’t necessarily mean keeping it word-for-word. If you’re new website design reflects changes in the products, services, or messaging of your Calgary business, it’s important to update relevant content to align with those changes.
- We strongly recommend backing up your site before embarking on a redesign, and making back-ups a regular habit. Doing so will protect the progress made on your redesign, and provides a much simpler means of ironing out any technical issues that may arise throughout the life of your website.
Start Strong by Avoiding the Most Common Redesign Mistakes
The look of your redesigned site is important, but there’s also a lot going on beneath the hood. Hubspot compares it to building a house, where each aspect of the construction affects the integrity of the rest. The little details play a major role in your end result.
- When evaluating which parts of your current site to keep, it’s important to be realistic. You don’t need to go back and edit your entire blog archive, but content on your main pages should be updated for your redesign.
- It’s always best to have clear goals for your redesign from the start, and not just for how your site will look. With goals, you can formulate a plan. Without them, well, the results aren’t always pretty.
- Your goals and your plan for reaching them should both be grounded in analytics. Ignoring the numbers is a mistake, but fortunately it’s one that happens less often with today’s technology. The data is easy to access, and your web designer can help you sort through the meaning of any tricky metrics.
- While you’re focused on the content and appearance of your redesign, it can be easy for navigation to slip through the cracks. Don’t let it. Navigation is one of the most important factors in successful websites, so getting it right is worth the effort.
- Logo design is important, too! Your logo shows up all over your website and social media presence, so updating its look is a great way to freshen up the digital appearance of your business.
Redesigning your website requires attention to detail, and a willingness to embrace change. I understand that it can be a bit intimidating, but you’ll have plenty of help along the way. It all starts with preparation, which means honestly appraising your current site, establishing your redesign goals, and developing a clear plan to reach them. The result will be new website design that maximizes online conversion opportunities for your Calgary business.
The website design and marketing experts at Emphasize Design of Calgary have all the tools you need to make your business thrive online. Learn about how quality web design will generate more leads for your business, and find out how our inbound marketing services bring interested customers to your homepage.
