7 tips for a successful website redesign strategy

Start with a Website Audit

As a website starts to age, it can be somewhat easier to take a critical eye to it. This is a great first step when it comes to planning a redesign.

Audit the site from everything to content and information, to goals, to the way it looks. Understanding what works – and what might not work – can help determine what you really want from a redesign.

Here are a few questions you should be able to answer about your current website to assist developing a strategy for your new one:

• How big is your website (number of pages and blog posts)?
• What is the most popular content on your site?
• How many people visit your website each week/month/year? Do you have Google Analytics setup?
• Are there new types of content or pages that you want in the redesign?
• Are there features you would like on your website but don’t?
• What do you love about your current website?
• What do you dislike about your current website?
• Does the website need other tools (such as a booking system or payment gateway)?

Develop Measurable Goals

Websites come with all kinds of different goals. To make the most of a redesign, set goals to measure success. You want to know if the work you put in is functioning as intended.

Often, website redesign goals connect with overall business goals. Some are easier to quantify, like sales. Others will be harder, such as figuring out how many people actually read an article (and not just visited a page).

Measurable goals from your website might include (but are not limited to the following):

• Number or type of visitors each month (from a certain place or certain type of device, for example)
• Number of phone calls from the website
• Website orders, downloads, or sales
• Action conversions, like filling out a form or visiting a specific page.
• Generating leads for an off-line sales team
• Users spending longer periods of time on the website

Review and Adapt Content

Will existing content move to the new website design or will that get a makeover as well?

Evaluate each page of the current website and edit and/or remove pages to suit the redesign. You can start adding new content as well.

Making changes to content ahead of time is often a huge help, particularly for a large website that will get moved over to a brand new design. Most users find it easier and faster to make changes in the old system, rather than making adjustments and trying to learn the new design (or even new content management system) at the same time.

When it comes to reviewing and adapting content, it’s important to think critically about it. Will this content match the visual aesthetic and voice of the new site? (or how can you make sure the new design fits this content?)

“Order” New Content

The most challenging part of a website redesign strategy is visualising new content.

Do you need new photos or video? New articles or information for web pages? New branding or colour palette?

Start a list of all the new content necessary for the redesign and begin “ordering” that new content from your team or suppliers. The design will be hard to see and even harder to piece together if core components of the design aren’t available.

When making these assignments, be clear about what you want and need and how the photos, video, and other content will be used. Have everything sent you in the highest quality possible, this will keep the design looking fresh and crisp.

Consider New Features

Technology moves fast. There’s probably be dozens of new tools and features available to you now that were not a part of your last website design.

Just think about how dominant video has gotten thanks to greater availability of high-speed internet.

Are there new features that you want to be a part of this project? How feasible are they? What costs are related with them? How are you able to work them into your redesign?

Also, go back to your audit and look for things you wish you could do with the website. New technology might make it possible if that wasn’t the case the last time around.

Plan Within Your Budget

Set a realistic budget expectation.

The price for a website redesign can depend on a lot of things – from the age of your existing site, features and content, timeline, and more.

You have to plan a project that fits within your budget. If you are expecting to redesign your website and add e-commerce tools for £500, you’re likely to be disappointed.

Set Up Maintenance and Marketing

The final part of your website redesign strategy is to think about how you’ll manage the website post-launch.

That includes two considerations:

• Website maintenance
• Marketing and promotion

Proper website maintenance will keep the site running longer and more efficiently in the long run. This can include someone who installs updates and ensures that everything is functioning as intended.

Marketing and promotion will help people find your website. If nobody knows it’s there, it will be hard to meet any goals that you’ve set.

Both are key parts of ensuring your website redesign is as successful as possible. Neglecting either of these things can cause a lot of stress (and work) later.