Is It Time for a Website Redesign? 5 Questions to Guide You in the Right Direction

Not sure if your website needs a new look? On the fence about taking the plunge?

If you answered yes to either of the above, you’re not alone! Whether you’re looking to create an entirely new site from scratch or give your existing one a facelift, it's important to know when is the best time to make a change.

Due to the ever-evolving nature of the world wide web, the only constant is change itself. At any given year from now, there will most likely be a shiny, new platform taking over the internet that drives people to adapt in one way or the other.

That’s why it’s important to know when to switch things up.

Basic functionality and usability are the two most important factors to consider when assessing your site, but you may not know if (and when) it is an appropriate time to give it some TLC.

Regardless of where you may be in the redesign journey, below are 5 questions to help guide you in the right direction:

1. Is it responsive? 
   • Since 2016, Google has implemented mobile-first indexing, which determines your site ranking based on mobile compatibility. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, then your SERP rankings (and potential leads) have most likely been negatively affected as a result.
   • Developers can set responsive breakpoints in the design that adjust the page layout based on your screen size. Whether you’re on a desktop, tablet, or phone, the page will be optimized for that user experience.
      
2. Is the design outdated? 
   • If you feel like you’ve been teleported to a previous era, then it’s probably safe to say that your design is out of date. Not all sites need to have cutting-edge design, however, it is important to make your website appear as if it is participating in modern society (at least somewhat), as studies show that an updated design evokes a sense of trust. 
   • Some of the more obvious elements of outdated websites include:
     1. Overcrowded sidebars and widgets 
     2. More than 2-3 font faces 
     3. Excessive parallax scrolling 
     4. Fixed page widths 
     5. Small text and small buttons
         
3. Is there a high bounce rate? 
   • If your site uses Google Analytics, you can see various website performance metrics, including bounce rate. The average bounce rate for websites is in the 26% to 70% range, so if your bounce rate is exceedingly high, this may be Google’s way of turning on your website’s check engine light. 
   • While it can be difficult to pinpoint the reasoning for a high bounce rate, factors such as ease of use and page load time can influence this metric. If your site is difficult to navigate and takes more than a few seconds to load, users are more likely to leave upon entry. 
      
4. Is the Content Management System (CMS) at its end of life? 
   • If it’s been a few years since you last updated your CMS, you may want to check and see if the core software is still supported by the provider. If it’s not, chances are that is has reached end of life, such as Drupal 6 and Joomla! 3. 
   • To resolve this issue, it is important to upgrade your software to a version that is supported by it’s provider. Before upgrading, however, do some research to see if the software company has released any details regarding their future end of life expectancy schedule.
      
5. Is it easy to use and maintain? 
   • Last, but not least, it’s important that your website is easy to update and manage. If it’s not easy for you (or your colleagues) to make changes, you should consider utilizing a different framework. WordPress, one of the more popular CMS’ of today’s age, is known for being far more user-friendly compared to other options in the market. 
   • Being able to make updates on a relatively frequent basis also affects your site from a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective. One of the factors Google uses to determine page rank is recency of content updates, among many others, so it’s important that you publish new content when possible to stay relevant. 
      

Even if you’re not a web developer or marketer, your website should be an informative way for you to express yourself and your brand for others to see. Maintaining this platform is crucial when it comes to showcasing what you have to offer. 

If you’re interested in learning more about our website design and development services, contact us directly or request a free website audit today.