Redesigning your website can seem like a daunting task, but with careful planning and management, it can be a smooth and effective process. In this post, we’ll explore key considerations, pros and cons, and tips for project managing a website overhaul.
Why redesign your website?
The first step is identifying why you want to redesign in the first place. Common reasons include:
- Outdated design – Your site looks old and doesn’t reflect your current brand. A redesign can modernize the look and feel.
- Poor user experience – Navigation issues, lack of mobile optimization, slow load times. A redesign focuses on improving UX.
- New business model – You’ve expanded your product line or target audience. The site should reflect new business goals.
- Higher conversions – Underperforming calls-to-action, high bounce rates and lack of lead gen reflect opportunities to improve conversion optimization.
Being clear on goals and problems to solve will inform priorities for the redesign.
Key Considerations
When scoping the project, some key items to consider include:
- Platform – Determine whether to redesign on your existing CMS or rebuild the site on a new system. Moving platforms is a bigger endeavor.
- Phased approach – A complete overhaul done all at once can be disruptive. A phased approach lets you launch parts of the new site while old sections are redesigned.
- Marketing integration – Align UX improvements to marketing initiatives like email nurturing and ads. Website should support the wider strategy.
- SEO strategy – Any redevelopment will involve some SEO migration planning. Work closely with SEO experts to minimize disruption.
- Content audit – Take stock of existing content and assess what needs to be refreshed, rewritten or consolidated.
- Analytics review – Use your Google Analytics data to spot strengths to enhance and weaknesses to improve.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Is it the right time? What are the key risks? Weigh the pros and cons below to confirm if it’s the right time to make a move.
Potential pros
- Fresher brand image and UX
- Improved conversions and ROI
- Better mobile optimization
- Cleaner content structure
- Future scalability
Potential cons
- Significant time and cost investment
- Risk of disrupting traffic while new site is optimized
- Ongoing training as team adapts to new CMS
With careful planning, you can maximize pros while mitigating cons associated with a major site overhaul.
Project Oversight
Designating a project manager is essential for coordinating all the moving parts. Their responsibilities include:
- Assembling team of designers, developers, content creators and SEO specialists
- Creating a detailed project plan and timeline
- Keeping everyone aligned through regular status updates
- Overseeing UX design, content creation and technical development
- Guiding SEO strategy: redirects, site architecture, page optimization
- Monitoring KPIs and results post-launch to refine as needed
A website redesign takes time and needs input from many stakeholders. But with clear goals, robust planning, and dedicated management, you can successfully transform your website to drive business growth.