Is your Website Working for You?: Key Signs It's Time For a Website Redesign

Your website is the shop window to your business. It is the first impression customers have as they search for the goods or services you offer, and it is a reflection of your company’s brand.

How Do You Know if it's Time to Redesign Your Website?

The closer you are to your brand the harder it can be to see what changes need to be made to your own website. Knowing when it’s time to redesign your website can be a tricky decision. To help make the process easier, here are some key signs that it may be time for a rethink.

Low Website Traffic:

With more and more competition in the digital marketplace, it's easy to get lost in the crowd. If your website is not receiving a significant amount of traffic, it may indicate that it's not effectively attracting visitors. There could be several reasons for this which we will explore further in the article. It is important to study traffic patterns and monitor analytics to know where to start. 

A Decline in Search Engine Rankings:

If your website's rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs) have significantly dropped, it could be a sign of underlying issues. You can have the best product or service in the world but if no one can find it you are very unlikely to see any results. A good SEO strategy is vital to get your website visible on SERPs.

Low Conversion Rates:

If your website has a low conversion rate, it means that visitors are not taking the desired actions, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter. You may think your product isn't hitting the mark but what if it is your site that is letting you down? Before you make any major changes you need to get to the bottom of the issue.

High Bounce Rate:

The bounce rate is the number (as a percentage) of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate suggests that visitors are not finding what they're looking for or are encountering obstacles that prevent them from engaging further.

Negative User Feedback:

Are you receiving negative feedback from your customers? The user journey can be a crucial part of a website and if customers are feeling frustrated then it may be time for a redesign.

High Cart Abandonment Rate:

If you run an e-commerce website and notice a high rate of abandoned shopping carts, it indicates that visitors are not completing their purchases. This could be the result of factors such as over-complicated checkout processes, lack of payment options or a glitch in the system.

Lack of Engagement:

If visitors are not engaging with your website's content, such as leaving comments, sharing posts, or interacting with your social media buttons, it may suggest a lack of interest or relevance.

If you are seeing indications of any of the points above then the website's performance needs improving and it is time to take a long hard look at your current site. Website redesigns can be a huge undertaking but they are also an opportunity for you to make your website more user-friendly, attractive and engaging. But where do you start to redesign a website?

The Website Redesign Process

Look at Your Existing Website

Before embarking on a redesign project it is vital to take a long hard look at your current website.

Analyse what is currently working and what needs to be improved. It is important to follow a clear website redesign strategy to ensure you make changes where necessary and don't lose sight of what is working well.

Starting Your Website Redesign Project

Define Your Goals

Once you have analysed your existing website it is important to define the goals you want to achieve with your redesign. This will help guide your decisions and ensure that all changes are made in line with these objectives. Resolving the above issues on your website requires a systematic approach and will involve implementing various strategies. Here are some redesign tips to help you with your site redesign.

The Website Redesign Plan

It's a bit of the 'chicken and egg' situation with low website traffic and rankings. It can be difficult to determine which came first, the low rankings or the lack of traffic. Each aspect affects the other so it's important to review both.

Low Website Traffic:

If your website is just not getting the traffic it deserves this could be because your website pages are not being found in search results. This could be because of poor keyword research, inadequate meta tags and descriptions, or a lack of relevant content on your website. Your redesign plan needs to address these issues. No matter how great your new site looks you could be back at the same place if you don't get to the root cause.

Look at your website's metrics and see if there is any room for improvement. You should be aiming to have a website that looks great, performs well, and has relevant content that resonates with your audience.

A Decline in Search Engine Rankings:

Website Content for Ranking

If your website has seen a decline in SERP rankings, the obvious first step is to review your website’s existing SEO strategy. Is the content on your site optimised for relevant keywords? Is the code clean and compliant with search engine guidelines?

For your website to rank high in web searches it is imperative that your website content is optimised to attract more traffic and importantly, relevant website visitors. Content must be built around solid keyword research to attract new leads that are looking for the services/products that you offer.

Utilise Online Analytic Tools

Using online analytic tools such as Google Analytics can help you to identify why your website is not ranking as well as it should be and what areas need improving. If traffic is low it can be due to poor organic search, a weak social media presence or inadequate content marketing strategy.

Low Conversion Rates:

If customers are visiting and engaging with your website but not buying, there may be underlying issues. This could range from poor user experience to technical issues on the website.

Identify and address any technical issues that may be affecting your website's search engine performance, such as broken links or duplicate content.

Identify Your Target Audience

It's vital to consider who is using your website and tailor your design accordingly. Identifying key user personas can help inform the design process and ensure that you are providing an experience that meets their needs.

 You may discover that your customer base is not who you initially thought it would be and your website style and marketing strategies do not reflect your audience.

Build Trust

Build authoritative backlinks from reputable websites in your industry. Use customer reviews and trust Badges to build allegiance and credibility on your website.

Review Your Call-To-Action

If you're experiencing low conversion rates, one of the first things you should review is your call-to-action (CTA). Your CTA should be relevant and clearly visible on the page. Make sure your CTA is eye-catching and prominently placed. If you’re offering a coupon or special offer, make sure it's clearly visible.

Payment Options

Provide visitors with alternative payment methods, such as PayPal, Apple Pay and Stripe making it easy for them to complete their purchases.

Check Checkout Process

Make sure the checkout process is optimised and doesn't require customers to jump through hoops to complete their process.

High Bounce Rate:

If people are seeing your website but dropping out after the landing page this is a clear indication something is going badly wrong.

It could be that your web design branding is missing the mark, the messaging is confusing or your visitors are confronting unexpected obstacles or you are inadvertently attracting the wrong type of visitor.

Branding

Your website design, logo and images tell a story about who you are and what your business stands for. User behaviour in this instance tells you it could be the image you are projecting is outdated or doesn't align with your business goals and the expectations of website visitors. A new logo and rebrand might be in order with design elements that reflect the current trends and attract your target audience.

Confusing Messaging

Written content should clearly communicate the value and purpose of your business, product or service. It is also important to make sure it aligns with the expectations of your target audience. Ensure that your website's landing pages align with the expectations set by your marketing campaigns or search engine results.

Website Obstacles

We have a lot of options when online shopping, so the user journey needs to be clear. In other words, make it as simple as possible for your visitors to find what they are looking for. Ensure that all website elements work together to direct visitors to take the desired action.

Speed it Up

No one wants to be hanging around waiting for a page to load. Check that your website design includes easy navigation and clear calls to action. Improve page load speed to prevent visitors from getting impatient and leaving. Enhance the overall user experience by simplifying navigation, improving readability, and optimising for mobile devices.

Design With Mobile in Mind

Given the popularity of mobile devices, it's essential to make sure your entire website is optimised for mobile users. Ensure that all pages load quickly and are responsive so they look great on a range of devices.

Make it Interesting

Provide relevant and engaging content that immediately addresses visitors' needs or questions.

Use eye-catching visuals, headlines, and subheadings to grab visitors' attention from the very beginning, encouraging them to explore further.

Negative User Feedback:

If you are having complaints about your website function or your customer's ability to locate items you may need a new website layout. Actively monitoring and addressing customer feedback and complaints promptly will not only help you retain customers but give you a first-hand account of where any issues lie. You are probably very adept at finding your way around the site but that doesn't mean visitors will.

If you are receiving feedback that visitors find your website difficult to navigate, this could be due to a lack of internal links, poor design or lack of relevant content.

Review Navigation Structure

The navigation structure should be easy to use and logical; it should enable users to find the information they are looking for easily. Give visitors multiple options when navigating; include drop-down menus, internal links and a search facility.

Your user interface needs to be intuitive, simple and logical for visitors. Conduct user surveys or usability tests to identify pain points and areas for improvement. Implement a feedback mechanism on your website to encourage visitors to provide suggestions or report problems.

Using website analytics and heat mapping software (programs that show you traffic patterns i.e.where visitors are clicking on the site) should give you an indication of which elements need improving and which elements could be removed or changed to improve the user experience.

High Cart Abandonment Rate:

This could indicate that there is something about your checkout process that needs to be improved.

Review Checkout Process

Simplify the checkout process and minimise the number of steps required to complete a purchase. How many pages are in the checkout process? Is it too long, complicated or time-consuming? Are customers being required to provide too much information?

Payment

Display trust signals, such as security badges or customer reviews, to alleviate concerns about payment security.

Make sure you offer various payment options to cover all your customers' needs.

Implement cart recovery strategies, such as sending the abandoned cart reminder emails with personalised offers or incentives.

Social Engagement

Social engagement is an important aspect of today's online market strategy. It's a way to build relationships with your customers and create brand loyalty.

Make sure you have active social media accounts that are regularly updated with engaging and shareable content, including blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media updates, to attract and retain visitors. Utilise social media platforms, online advertising, and email marketing campaigns to drive traffic to your website. Collaborate with influencers or industry partners to expand your reach and attract new visitors.

Content management system (CMS)

To keep your website up to date and relevant it needs to be frequently updated with new content. If you are managing the day-to-day running of your own website you need a high-performance CMS that offers support and regular updates allowing you the ability to make quick changes and updates to your website without needing to involve a developer.

Larger companies have an in-house team to ensure their website contains the latest and most relevant content. But smaller businesses may find it difficult to keep their website up-to-date with fresh content and maintain their website on a daily basis. A good CMS will allow you to manage and add content yourself, saving time and money.

Website Redesign Projects- Employing the Professionals

Employing a company to redesign your website can be a wise investment as it delivers benefits that go beyond just the final product. The entire process of website redesign is complex, and a professional web designer can streamline it by providing expertise in the latest web design trends, coding languages, and website redesign strategies. This expertise translates to a website that is built to perform optimally, engaging users and keeping them on your platform longer.

Whether it's improved navigation, increased mobile responsiveness, or better SEO optimisation, a website redesign done by professionals can give your business a competitive edge. Therefore, if you're looking for a professional and straightforward approach to redesigning your website, hiring a website design company can be the best decision you make.

PS Website Design

If you are looking at a redesign our web designers will access your current website, ensure we understand all your website redesign goals and discuss the redesign cost. We have a proven track record of designing and launching stunning websites that are designed to attract attention and engage visitors.

Talk to us today to learn more about how we can help make your website work better for you. We’ll create an effective design that accurately reflects your brand, products and services while helping you achieve your goals. Together we'll create something amazing. https://www.pswebsitedesign.com/website-redesign