With the cost of a new website ranging from £500 to £2,500 for a small business, you could be forgiven for perhaps putting off the impending job of a redesign. However, with the speed at which technology develops, websites can quickly go out of date. Finding a balance between affordability and functionality is not always an easy task, so we have listed a few simple indicators that might help you to determine when you should consider a new website.
The first question to ask is whether you want to redesign your site or just revamp it.
What is the difference between a web revamp and a web redesign?
Revamping involves making aesthetic changes to aspects such as the colour, page layout and design templates. It could also mean building some additional pages within the site’s existing structure. Redesigning means an overhaul of the entire website that requires development time to change the sitemap, navigation, functionality and design.
Ultimately a redesign will take a bigger chunk of your budget, but it will be more cost effective in the long run as it will cut down on the amount of revamps, which can often be charged by the hour, rather than by project.
How often you should get your website redesigned really depends on your industry and the level of competition, but a fair estimate across the board would be every 2 years. There are some questions you can ask yourself, to help your decision:
- How is your website performing?
If your website’s traffic has steadily decreased over time, it’s possible that your competitors are now stealing a greater slice of the pie, with websites that are outperforming yours. Assuming you are tracking your web statistics via Google Anaytics or similar, you can compare traffic volumes year-on-year, month-on-month and for custom date ranges. If organic statistics show a decline, then it may be time to have an overhaul or your website to improve things like functionality, site load speed, content and keyword – all of which have an impact on your SEO performance. It’s also worth looking at your goal conversions (contact pages, CTA buttons etc) to see if these are working.
- Is your website optimised for mobile search?
With more people now using mobile to conduct a Google search than desktop, it’s imperative that your website is optimised for mobile. If you have not already embraced responsive web design, then your next web redesign project should incorporate this, so that the screen resolution adjusts for mobile users and gives a mobile-friendly user experience. By not having one, you risk the user bouncing off your site.
- What do users say about your website?
A simple one really. Do you get feedback from customers about your website? Are they frustrated at the functionality? Do they get stuck on a particular action? User feedback is a great way of finding out how your website compares. You can explore this by conducting user testing, in exchange for something free, and then collate the feedback for you web project planning.
- Does your website accurately reflect your brand value proposition?
A lot of the time brands just outgrow their website image and need a new one. Examples might include re-branding, new products or services and more technically advanced online services or functions (e.g. free mortgage calculators, financial planners, and interactive media, such as gaming, VR and AR.)
If you think you are ready for a website redesign, why not give Whitefish Marketing a call? We are a Kent web design agency with expertise in web design and SEO. Call us on 01303 720 288.