Thinking About A Website Redesign? Top 5 Reasons Why You Should, and Should Not Go For A Redesign

A lot of enquiries come through to Burning Fruit requesting a redesign of websites that simply do not convert or are dated. However, there are also a number of requests for redesigns of websites that are simply not backed up by logic, putting the business at risk of losing customers and alienating their audience.

Putting it simply, you need to ensure that your redesign is for the benefit of your audience and not for the benefit of you as a business owner. Redesigns need to be considered carefully, and they need to be backed up by statistics. If you do not know the numbers, don’t do it until you do!

Why You Should Not For A Redesign?

Below are some of the bizarre instances where a redesign was considered.

“I feel like my website needs a shake-up as it hasn’t changed much for a few years.”

When I heard this and looked at the website I was curious. I asked a few questions about their analytics, and the owner had no idea. I requested to look at their analytics, and the website had a very impressive sub-40% bounce rate, with a huge number of visitations and enquiries per month. I brought these statistics to the attention of the business owner, who soon decided it was best to leave this.

“I don’t like my website, but my customers love it.”

This is a recipe for disaster. Calm your farm, reduce your ego, and do it for your customers. If you are getting great feedback on your website from your customers, it does not matter what you think, really. Something is working. If you are dead-set on a redesign, you need to delve into this and find out what your customers like about it by doing user experience studies on them.

“My competitors are doing this so I need to do the same.”

Ever heard of the “Purple Cow”? You need to stand out from the crowd, and you will never do this by copying what your competitors are doing. In addition, how do you know what they are doing is working? Do your own research and find out from your audience – they are the truth sayers, and need to influence what you do. You can almost guarantee that your competitors would not have asked the audience!

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Redesign Your Website?

If you are thinking about a redesign of your website, you need to consider the following reasons why you should look into it:

Not mobile-friendly – if your website does not render well on mobile, or is simply not developed for mobile technology, you must go for a redesign or a reimplementation of your website. Most non-mobile-friendly website designs are dated, so a full redesign is likely to be warranted
Lack of engagement – if your bounce rate is bordering on the 50-60%+ mark, yes, you need to look at a redesign in order to engage your audience and increase conversion. The investment needs to be considered but will be worthwhile in the long-run
Brand refresh/rebrand – if your business is going through a brand refresh or a rebrand, you need to reflect this in the design without a doubt. However, consider the journey and effectiveness of the current website, and keep the best parts!
User experience study results – if you have conducted user experience studies, and your website has not pitted very well against your competitors, you definitely need to reconsider a redesign. The good thing is, if you have done these studies, you will know exactly what your audience is looking for, what their goals and emotions are, and what frustrations they have found across your industry!
Taking your business to the next level – there are a number of platforms out there allowing business owners the ability to create their own websites, which is great for lean startups and businesses that require cashflow for other aspects of the business. However, the honeymoon period will soon be over, and at some point between 1-2 years, you will need to consider ramping up your online presence. This means the foundation of your online media needs to be on top of the rest – yes, your website. Your website is the conduit your audience will funnel through – from social, from Google, from word-of-mouth. Don’t leave it too long before getting a professional to take your business to the next level.

Need Help?

If you are looking for ways to help boost assurance and increase conversion on your website, get in touch!