Redesigning a website takes time and a little money, but in the end, a revamp is a wise investment. Your website is essentially a virtual business card and your strongest online marketing tool.
You’ll do yourself a tremendous service and make the most of business by keeping your website fresh, up-to-date, and user-friendly.
Outdated
The Web is constantly changing: Web technology that was once considered cutting-edge (even 6 years ago) is most likely out-of-date today. A website makeover will give you and your organization an advantage in the competitive, online sphere.
In fact, the design is a leading factor in user trust. According to a study titled, “Trust and Mistrust of Online Health Sites,” 94 percent of the participants agreed that an updated, better-looking website is more trustworthy than an outdated design, even if the information displayed on both is accurate and of equal quality.
Usability
If your readers are unable to find what they’re looking for quickly, they will leave. To prevent visitors from clicking on competitor sites, it’s important to ensure that your website design is user-friendly. Ultimately, users shouldn’t have a problem with navigating the site or finding your contact information. The best designs feel intuitive: at LCM we always endeavor to keep UI/UX in mind when redesigning sites.
Social Media
Most websites have a social media bar or plugin – if your company site is missing a social feature, then you’re probably ranking below your competitors. By including a social network plugin on your site (and ensuring your social media is updated daily), users will be able to tweet, share, or pin your fresh content, giving your organization free and easy advertising. This feature also increases brand loyalty, as customers are able to engage with your company on a whole new level.
Re-branding
If your company has recently undergone rebranding, you’ll need to update your design to reflect your new marketing strategy. Re-branding includes more than a fancy new logo and color scheme to match – re-branding also requires updated content.
In addition, if your site’s purpose has changed or your business’ identity has taken a turn, then the layout should correspond to your new goals.
Mobile-Friendly
As mobile usage grows so does web app development, it’s important to ensure that your site can be viewed on a variety of devices, including tablets, smartphones, laptops, and desktops. By optimizing your new site for mobile, you’re guaranteed to reach a larger audience than you would with a website that is not mobile-friendly.
Additionally, recent algorithm changes from Google that were announced in 2015 underscore the importance of mobile-optimization: websites not formatted for mobile will appear lower in the search results than those that are mobile-ready.
Website redesign can be intimidating, but partnering with an experienced design firm will not only speed up the process but will relieve any technology-related stress you may have. It’s also important to note that the term “redesign” doesn’t necessarily mean you should change every aspect of your site. In fact, a website redesign could entail simple changes, such as making functional modifications (e.g. mobile responsiveness).
