Does your website really reflect and represent everything you and your company are capable of?
Are you proud to share it with clients and prospects—or do you cringe thinking about the laundry list of things you wish could be improved?
Of course, breathing new life into a website that’s outdated or underperforming is no easy feat—it can require any combination of extensive time, energy, and/or the assistance of knowledgeable professionals.
To help you find your starting point (and identify the finish line), let’s consider your goals and other critical considerations to make before getting started.
Question #1: What are your goals?
Most companies have a reason for redesigning this year. Recognizing this “spark” is critical since it can help shape your process moving forward. Companies typically go through a refresh because their current website is:
Outdated: Technology and design trends evolve rapidly, meaning your digital presence can quickly become outdated if you aren’t making regular changes or updates. As your company grows and evolves, it’s also possible your website no longer reflects your most current offerings, services, team members, or values.
Unprofessional: Maybe you took a DIY approach when building your website the first time around, or you rushed the process with the intention of finishing things up later. There are many reasons why a website might come across as unprofessional—or even confusing if pertinent information is missing, unreadable, or hard to find.
Not competitive: If you notice your competitors have a more inviting or effective online presence, that’s a good sign it’s time to do a website refresh.
Lacking traffic or conversions: If you aren’t meeting your lead generation expectations or attracting the right audience, assessing and revamping your current website can help you realign with your marketing goals
Question #2: What is or isn’t working with the current website?
Similar to the question above, consider the specific elements of your site and what you’d like to change (or keep) during a redesign. If we break this question down into different site elements, you could consider things like:
Copy: Do you like the tone of voice and style? Is there too much or too little text? Does it accurately reflect your company? Your website copy should tell readers who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you. As a general rule of thumb, try not to sacrifice clarity for creativity.
Design: Does the layout work, or is it hard to read, clunky, or otherwise out of alignment with your branding? Your website should be easy to navigate and skim, and give readers a natural flow to follow.
Calls to action: Are you asking the viewer to take a certain action? How easy are you making it for them to do so? If you’d like to increase the number of viewers who schedule a consultation, for example, make it as easy as possible for them to do this from your website. You can try different wording, colors, and placement for your calls to action to see what resonates most with your website visitors.
Additional components: Consider all the extras that give your website a personal touch. What’s working well, and what do you think could be improved? Are there any customizations you’d like to add to help achieve your goals? Panoramic Financial, for example, incorporates several videos, custom photography, FAQs, forms, and success stories on their website to provide visitors with personable insights into the firm.
Question #3: Who is your audience?
Yes, we’re talking about redesigning your company’s website. But do you know whose opinion of your website matters the most? Your target audience. If your website doesn’t appeal to or attract the right audience or delivers a message that resonates with them, then your website is no longer serving your business as intended.
If you haven’t already, set aside time to consider who your target demographic is and what their greatest pain points are (in other words, how can you position yourself as the service or solution they need?).
Your website must be built to attract your ideal clients and address their needs, even if that differs from what resonates with you personally. With three primary website audiences, San Diego Food Bank makes it as simple as possible for each visitor to access the information that applies to their needs and goals.
Question #4: What are your competitors doing?
While this shouldn’t be your only area of focus when doing a website refresh, it’s certainly worth looking at what your competitors are doing—and more specifically, what you like or don’t like about their sites.
While you certainly don’t want to directly copy anything from your competitor’s site, it’s helpful to see what others are doing and where you may be able to improve or stand out from the competition.
Keep in mind that you don’t have data on conversion rates, website visitors, or lead generation for your competitors. Just because you think their site may look more aesthetically pleasing or otherwise feel superior to yours, that doesn’t necessarily mean replicating elements from it will help you achieve your redesign goals. That’s why focusing on your own goals and the needs of your ideal clients are so important.
Question #5: Who should you hire to help with your redesign?
Having the right team to help you master this redesign process is important. Your website redesign partners should take the time to understand your goals, clarify your ideal target audience, and help you bring your vision to life—all while ensuring a website that’s built technically sound and optimized for search.
Need Help With Your Redesign in 2025? Let’s Get Started!
Your website is one of the most powerful, forward-facing pieces of collateral your company owns. If it doesn’t perfectly embody who you are, what you do, and how you help your target audience—then it’s time to consider hitting the reset button this year.
From developing clear, concise content to delivering immersive and engaging design, we are here to help you conquer this exciting task on your to-do list in 2025. Let’s get started with a free web consultation to learn more about your goals!
