So you’ve decided that your website needs a redesign, but before you make a big investment, you’ll want to know what you need from your new site. Don’t go in all guns blazing only to find you’ve missed a vital component, or have something that’s completely unfit for purpose.
A good website designer should guide you through all these steps, but it’s helpful to think them through yourself too so you have a clearer idea of what you want from your redesign.
Goals
Your website should last you at least 2-3 years, if not more, so think about your business goals over that time. Will you be offering new services that might require a specific design in the future? Are you expecting a large increase in website traffic over that time? Will you need an online shop or a members area?
Also think about what you want, specifically, the website to achieve. If you already have a website, what is it lacking? Think hard about the experience of your potential clients when they use the site and how you can make things nice and easy for them.
Budget
The cost of a website ranges dramatically depending on whether you need/want a fairly basic site, or something with all the bells and whistles. Either way, a website is going to be a fairly significant investment for your business, so carefully consider a realistic budget.
It would be helpful to make a list of what is absolutely essential, what would be ideal and what would be nice to have. You can then either speak to a developer about different pricing options, or ask what they can give you for your specific budget.
Remember that a basic website from a good designer is going to cost you at least several thousand pounds. Complex websites will be much more expensive.
Resources and time
How much time do you have to spend on the redesign? Although you won’t be doing it yourself, you will need to provide information, pull together images and other content, and give your designer feedback.
Your availability will also tie in with a budget. To bring costs down, you may, for example, want to write all your own content, but this is time-consuming. If you have no time to do this (or if you would prefer a more professional touch), then factor a copywriter into your budget.
If your business is seasonal, try and book in a design when things are quieter. And make sure you set aside time to work on it throughout the process.
Branding
Most businesses will have a logo, but does your branding go any further than that?
Brand will influence the design of a website, from the colour and layout, to the way copy (text) is written. If your business is very serious and corporate, then you won’t want a bubblegum pink colour scheme or jokes throughout your content.
When it comes to branding, having a logo is a good start, but you need to think about the type of language you use, the kind of images that represent your business, and the overall style of a website. For many customers, a website will be the first interaction they have with your business, so it needs to be an accurate representation.
SEO
SEO – or Search Engine Optimisation – helps you appear in a better position on Google Search. You can have a website without SEO, but it’s better to have it. At the very least, you want to find a website developer who is going to make sure your new website follows best SEO practices. Then, think about whether you want ongoing support in this area.
Find out more about SEO on our services page.
Choosing the right team
Who’s going to be working on your website? Are they reliable? Will they continue providing support after the website is built? Do they have plenty of experience? Do you trust them?
These are all questions that you want to ask when looking for someone to make your new website. Working with the right person – or people – is vital for getting the right results. Read testimonials, speak to designers, and review portfolios.
You might also want to consider your industry. Would a designer with specific industry experience be better for you to work with? Or, if your website needs specific functionality (like a member’s area), look for someone who has had experience creating these kinds of sites.
Launch strategy
After spending all that time and money on a website, you should plan the launch so it all goes smoothly. Thinking about this before you even book in a redesign is a good way to plan timings and pull together any necessary resources.
Testing: Once the design is complete, you’ll need some time to test it. Your developer should do some of this, but testing and checking it yourself is also a good idea.
Pre-launch training: Make sure your whole team knows how to use the website (including the backend) before it goes live so no one is taken by surprise.
Choose when: Think about when you should launch. It’s a good idea to pick a quieter time for your business, and a time when the developer is on-hand to iron out any issues that may crop up once real clients get on there.
Post-launch marketing
Get ready to shout about your website – you deserve to! Announce it on your socials, in your newsletter, in your shop. Coordinate all your marketing with your launch to get people using and viewing the site.
Consider whether there are any specific features of your new website that will be of particular interest to customers. For example, can they now buy your products online? Is there additional information available that they’ll find useful or interesting? Make sure you talk about all this in your marketing.
Again, think about this in advance so that you can make sure you will have the right resources in place.
Planning is a big part of a successful website build, so giving it some dedicated time in advance is really beneficial. Speak to your developer for support on this.
Are you ready to take the next step for your website? Get in touch for a quote.
