Website Redesign Guides

Ideas for evaluating, improving and updating your website

There comes a time when every site needs an overhaul. This can be a simple change of content or a complete redesign of the look-and-feel of the site. It is really really importnant that you consider the Search Engines as well as the human visitors to your website when you are making these changes.

Unfortunately we have seen a number of cases recently were successful sites were effectively ruined during a redesign process. If your site is performing well in the search engines, the last thing you want is to undo all the the good work which has gone in to the website in the past.

HTTP header errors, poorly written content, excessive use of Flash and images, ... there are a host of things which can cause problems for your website in the Search Engine Rankings.

We have pulled together a checklist of things to consider when you are redesgning your website. This redesign checklist may be useful for both:

• Companies and individuals who are redesigning their own websites.
• Companies and individuals outsourcing the redesign of their website.

INTRODUCTION TO REDESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE

It is obvious that websites need continuous improvement. Just browse around for a few minutes and discover the sites that are looking a little old-fashioned and dated. But there are many other reasons to redesign your site. Some of them are not obvious but are at the core of the site. This website redesign guide is really for anyone involved with websites. It will help you get the deep meaning of the site as well as more practical issues.

This guide will help you redesign a website according to your audience's needs and changing perceptions but also bearing in mind the likes and dislikes of the major Search Engines.

WEBSITE REDESIGN CHECKLIST

EVALUATE YOUR EXISTING WEBSITE

What does the site do well? Is it ranking well in the Search Engine Results pages for key terms associated with your business? Is it impossible to find? When people do find your site is it easy for them to navigate? Do you lose a lot of visitors before they buy your products or services?

The easiest way to determine these things is to ask others to use your site and then tell you. Friends and family are often too polite to tell you what they really think. We suggest that you use one of the online services to determine how usable your site it. For as little as $29 you can get a video report of complete strangers using your site. These are very, very useful! Once complete, make some notes on your website redesign list.

BRAINSTORMING

What new and fresh ideas are missing? Brainstorm with a team of people to get fresh ideas. Write down five ideas that came from the brainstorming. Then seek advice.

You are not required to be a Wesbite, Search Engine or Usability expert just to own a website. There are skilled professionals who specialise in these areas. Ask their advice - many will be willing to offer some guidance, even without charge. Make the appropriate changes to your website redesign list.

WHY ARE PEOPLE VISITING YOUR SITE & WHY DO YOU WANT THEM TO VISIT?

Why are people visiting your site? Often it is not at all for the reasons you would like or could guess. A thorough analysis of your site usage statistics will show you where people are coming from and the terms they are using to find your site.

The results might be surprising but will always be useful! You will probably see that some of the terms you want people to use are not getting people to you. This might be because they are not on youur site or because your site is poorly optimised.

List the main reasons you want people to come to your site (buy my products, subscribe to mailing list, etc.) and then list your site's key terms. Make the appropriate changes to your website redesign list.

DOES YOUR WEBSITE GRAB THE VISITORS' ATTENTION?

You have 8 seconds and 1 click in which to grab a visitor to your site if they have arrived from a web search. If they don't like the look of your site, can't find what they need or if they think your site is not useful - then they are gone!

Does your website make life easy for the visitor? Does it provide the information they need and is it easy to navigate - it should be. Make the appropriate changes to your website redesign list.

RESEARCH COMPETITORS

Find out if there is some important lessons you should be learning from your competitors. Which is the most successful site in your vertical? Visit it and try to see why. You will probably notice that it is not just price which makes the site a success. Are people finding that site that are not finding yours? Are there 'Hooks' on that site which are missing from yours?

Get ideas about design, technology and communication concepts by looking analytically at these competitor sites. While you are there see if they focus on some keywordswhich you may have missed. Make the appropriate changes to your website redesign list.

TARGET AUDIENCE - ARE YOU REACHING THEM?
Who is your target audience? Decide whom you want to target with the site. Try to imagine how they search for your products and Services. One thing is for sure - they may not use the exact language you and your colleagues do when describing your product. Remember, this doesn't make them wrong - if they use other terms to describe what you do and if you want them to find your site - then you have to use their language!

Write down a few words that these people might use to find your products and do some searches online using these terms. What do you find? Make the appropriate changes to your website redesign list.

THEME AND ' LOOK AND FEEL'
What is the mood or emotion that you want to communicate with your website? Professional, fun, authoritative, ... Decide on the overall theme and sketch out some ways you can communicate to users. Seek advice and make changes to your website redesign list.

SITE CONTENT
This is probably why most people come to your site. They come because they found your content searching for a term that the search engines mapped to some part of your content. Is your content working for you as you expect?

Your website should be clear and well written. Make changes to your website redesign list.

KEEP THE SEARCH ENGINES IN MIND
I've said it already, but during the Redesign Process, you must keep the search engines in mind! Decide on keywords and use them. Virtually all companies are relying on the search engines to deliver customers to their sites you have to get this right. Remember that you should optimise one page per key term. Make changes to your website redesign list.

ANALYSE THE USAGE OF YOUR WEBSITE
Which pages are the most popular and how do people move around the site? Are some pages dead-ends? Which pages have the largest exit rates? Look at your site statistics and get the answers to these questions. If your visitors are not returning to your website or if they are only spending a few seconds on a certain page then something is wrong. Make changes to your website redesign list.

NAVIGATION
This is key. The website visitor must be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The new design needs careful thought so that the visitor will not get lost or be more than two clicks away from what he/she needs. Consider: What links should always be available to the user? Are products divided into logical categories? Make changes to your website redesign list.

FRESH NEWSAND UPDATES
Your visitors should feel that they are visiting website which is up to date and which is updated regularly. When redesigning the website build in ways to easily make changes to the homepage. For example a News box, or Product Specials. Make changes to your website redesign list.

PRODUCT AND SERVICE INFORMATION
Are you making it easy for your customers to find what they need quickly and then to buy it? The main reason for redesigning most sites is to make things easier for visitors and customers. Follow the sales cycle on the website and eliminate unnecessary steps.

For example, do you make people register before they can buy something from you? Why? If there is no good, valuable reason, then don't do it. The more typing and clicking that a visitor has to do before they complete a sales process, the greater the chance that they will not bother.Make changes to your website redesign list.

INTERACTION
Can your visitors exchange information with you easily and in a way which they will trust? If you sell a product can the customer find out how the order is progressing? Can he/she easily get a question answered? This type of interaction is making life easier for everyone. Make changes to your website redesign list.

INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE
If some of your audience are from other geographies and speak other languiages then you should localise some of your site content for them. Translate the important pages so that they can find information or products in their own tongue.

GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION
Don't overdo it. You want people to be impressed with your site but you do not want them to have to wait for an age for it to load!

HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO REDESIGN YOUR WEBSITE FOR YOU
You do not need to be a website redesign specialist - some people, including us at Croan.ie already are! Use professional advice and hire the right people to redesign your website. Look at their previous work and try to find some of their clients' websites using the search engines. If it works for their previous clients, then their systems will work for you.

Good luck with your website redesign!