Websites should be updated every two years—a statement that’s almost an axiom in the world of digital marketing. A website revamp allows your brand to take advantage of new technologies and trends that improve user experience, resulting in greater leads and sales. But the results won’t come as expected if the update isn’t carefully planned. Here are 5 simple steps in developing an effective redesign strategy:
Benchmark Website Performance
Before starting a revamp, record and analyze your current performance metrics. Pinpoint the most successful pages, like the ones with the highest views, shares, click-through rate, and so forth, and then identify the qualities that are making them work. A redesign doesn’t necessarily mean throwing everything away and starting from scratch. Your website may already have gems worth keeping.
Determine Goals
Don’t just redesign your website for the sake of making it look different. Always begin with clear goals, which your benchmarks will help define. Your goals must be specific, objective, and metrics-driven, such as raising traffic or reducing bounce rate. Be prepared to prioritize your goals, in case of conflict.
Define Branding
Effective websites surround visitors with a meaningful digital experience. Your brand needs to develop a unique and consistent value proposition across the whole website. Say who you are and what you stand for in crystal, clear words. Let that be part of your design guidelines.
Identify Buyer Persona
You can’t deliver a meaningful experience without considering your audience. Identify the ideal visitor of your website and imagine how he thinks and behaves. Just remember to compare this to the characteristics of your actual customers. Adjust your strategy and brand message accordingly to appeal to their sensibilities.
Continuous Reiteration
An overhaul doesn’t imply that further improvements are no longer necessary. In some ways, it’s just the beginning. As new performance metrics arrive, be prepared to tweak your strategy to achieve your goals, especially when your original assumptions have been proven false or inaccurate. Reiterative improvement is always part of an effective web strategy.
Having someone else implement the redesign for you? A readily available strategy is recommended as it helps clarify your expectations, enabling your web designer to revamp the site based on your needs.
