Website Redesigns — 6 Essential Steps Before You Start

There are various reasons as to why companies and businesses may decide to give their website a redesign. Whatever the reason, a redesign is a good chance to take a broad look at your website and ensure it is in line with your brand and goals. It may seem like a complicated and daunting project, but having the right expectations and preparation can make the whole process a lot smoother. To help with this, we’ve compiled a list of steps to take before you start on this important project.

1. Set up goals

The first thing to do is to set up goals. You should be clear on the reason for a redesign — is it to improve branding, attract more visitors, better track your leads or get more sales? Setting goals and sticking to them is important so you won’t get side-tracked and hung up on things that are ultimately irrelevant. These goals should influence how you structure your entire website.

2. Consider your target audience

Secondly, you should consider your target audience. Who are they and what are they looking for? A disconnect between how your website is designed and the needs of your customers can be detrimental.

Here are a few questions to guide you:

• What are the needs, wants and goals of your customers?
• What type of content do they enjoy?
• How do your products solve the needs of your customers or help them achieve their goals?

3. Assess your current website

Thirdly, you should assess your existing website. This will help you figure out what you need for your new website. Why do you want a redesign, and what problems do you want it to solve? Analyse the design and functional elements of your website, making a list of things you dislike or feel are not working, and a list of things you like that work. Consider whether your website has been beneficial or harmful to your business and goals. Make a list of desired changes and pages you may want.

4. Analyse your competitors

The next thing to do is to check out the competition. We’re not saying to copy directly off your competitors, but to get an idea of practices and trends for your specific industry and business type. This can help with generating ideas for features and functions you may want for your new site, and even spot things you may want to avoid.

5. List what your new site will require

The next step on the list is to think about what your new site will require. This can include:

• Hosting provider options
• E-Commerce capability
• Membership functions
• Audio/video hosting capability
• Graphics or photography — these are a great way to add a personal element or bring colour and life to your website!
• Type of content

6. Think about lead generation

Lastly, the final step on the list is to think about how your website will generate leads. This is especially important if the website is for your business. It would be helpful to start considering the different ways in which your new site can help to generate new leads and customers.

Here is a list of questions to help you:

• What CTAs and how many will you need on each page?
• What kind of information will you need from your customers? (Think name, email, address, etc)
• Are you selling physical products? How are they being delivered?
• How will people continue to follow you or hear about you after leaving your site? (Think social media, email newsletters, etc)
• How will you continuously drive new traffic to your website?

Get started on your website redesign

Now that you have read about all 6 steps to take before redesigning your website, it’s time to get started! It is an exciting but huge task, and it’s important to pick a trustworthy web design and development agency that best suits your needs. Here at Oangle, we have worked with many of our clients, both in Singapore and overseas, to design and develop redesigned websites that have helped to streamline their processes and achieve their business goals. Want to find out more? Drop us a line today, we’d be happy to help!