A Complete 2019 Guide to the Website Redesign Process

How to rebrand your business like a boss

There are so many different reasons why a small business owner might decide to rename a website: poor conversions and/or sales, confusing navigation, or an outdated design, to name a few.

However, as I mentioned in my previous blog The Right Reasons to Rebrand Your Company Logo, having sound reasoning, logic, and statistics behind rebranding your company is essential.

For example, are poor conversions due to ineffective design or a faulty shopping cart?

Is your website really outdated or are you just bored with the color scheme?

This guide will help you first understand whether or not you need to reinvent your business, and if you do, how to rebrand your website in the most effective way possible.

I’m going to share a personal example for this article. We are renaming our website at the moment. We decided it was a good idea because:

• Now we are also targeting new entrepreneurs who come from the corporate world and we want to attract established entrepreneurs who are ready to improve their business.

• It was time to update how we present our services on our home page. We did not feel that we were presenting our benefits clearly enough in some areas.

• Some of the features and functionality of our existing site were failing. It was time to upgrade and use newer technology to display our offers.

• We have had some confusion around the penguin logo. Some people see a woman’s hair or are not very clear about what it is.

Our first step in the rebranding process was to update our logo.

In the next few weeks we will reveal our new website and I can’t wait for the big reveal! And before you jump into the redesign process, first determine if this is something you really need, as explained below.

Part 1: Is it time to reinvent your business?

You will need to take a good look at your online presence. You should be asking yourself the following questions, but it also helps to have outside opinions from customers, focus groups and social media followers; you may not have the most objective opinion.

1. Am I targeting a new type of audience/customer?

2. Is the site well optimized for mobile devices? According to Statista, more than 52% of web traffic now occurs on a mobile device. If your online store is slow or looks terrible on a smartphone, you have a lot to lose. The best way to check if this stat is accurate for you is to check your Google Analytics.

3. Have my products or services drastically changed?

4. Is my bounce rate high? Google defines the bounce rate by how many users leave the page they entered, without interacting with anything. According to a RocketFuel study, average bounce rates are between 26% and 70% for most websites.

Now, if your bounce rate is high on a Contact Us page, where a customer just wants your contact info and leaves, that’s one thing. But if you’re high on the pages you want people to stay on and engage with, it’s time to dig into why potential customers aren’t staying.

5. Am I receiving design or user experience complaints?

6. Does the design look outdated? The look and feel of website design can change quickly and often drastically from year to year. Sites that were designed 5 years ago can almost be guaranteed to look outdated now.

If the name “Tupperware” conjures up images of avocado-colored plastic and ’80s block parties, you’re not alone. Tupperware struggled to appeal to a modern audience, but it did so by modernizing everything from its logo to its Pinterest-esque images.

Part 2: The Reinvention

If you have decided to start with the website redesign process, you are in for an exciting and challenging journey! Here are 9 ways to achieve your goals in the most user-friendly way possible.

1. Complete a competitive analysis.

This is a crucial step in many marketing and branding processes. You should have made one when you were creating your company.

This time, look at how fast your competitors’ website loads or how user-friendly their navigation is. By exploring what you’re up against, you can do better when you rebrand your business.

2. Review your values ​​and brand positioning.

Before hiring a web designer, I recommend reviewing your business values ​​and brand positioning. Be clear about why you are in business in the first place, your values, and your mission.

Also pay close attention to the impression you want your website visitors to receive the moment they land on your site. How do you want your business to be perceived? What brand personality do you want to portray? What values ​​do you want to be known for?

By having a clear understanding of these types of branding questions, you will now have a clear branding guide for your web designer to follow.

Here are some resources to help you in this process:

– Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

– Find Your Why: A Practical Guide to Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team Too by Simon Sinek

– Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message for Customers to Hear by Donald Miller

– Work with me as your business and marketing mentor.

3. Define your goals.

Rebranding your online business isn’t just about looks. You want to improve your customer experience.

Let’s say you want to collect more email addresses. You’ll need to decide where to place your email newsletter sign-up box or giveaway offer to compel visitors to provide you with their information.

If your goal is to convert a new type of customer, you’ll need to think about the calls to action that will resonate best with them.

Whatever your goals, they should be focused on your customers’ needs, not yours!

4. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

We can get so caught up in renewal and renewal that we go too far. If you have received a lot of attention and/or praise for your company logo, why would you change it?

If a certain article on your blog is getting a lot of organic traffic, don’t delete it just because you’re tired or want to target a new audience. It is just as important to know what not to change.

Always keep your target audience in mind. What do they find useful and informative to help them make a decision about doing business with you? It is not about you and your personal preferences. It’s about them and what they need from you.

5. Create a design and content plan.

Depending on your target audience, brand positioning, and goals, you may be able to reuse existing marketing material, or you may need to start from scratch.

Review all design elements and copy prior to the website redesign process so you have an accurate inventory of what you need to create.

6. Create a wireframe and mockup.

A wireframe is a layout that shows what elements will be on a web page. You don’t just start creating menus, slapping images and putting links on a live page. You need to plan and visualize before you rebrand your website, so that users have the best possible experience.

A mockup is also a visual representation that includes design elements and copy, although copy can be demonstrated with a placeholder, as we’ve done here. We’re still working on the messages in this section, but we wanted to plan where they would go.

7. Incorporate voice search into your SEO plan.

It’s no longer enough to focus solely on copy. People want instant solutions when looking for something online.

As you reinvent your business, you need to think about ways to optimize your website for voice search in addition to what people type into the search box.

Many consumers already use it to find what they’re looking for, and according to ComScore, 50% of searches will be done this way by 2020.

Learn more about voice search here.

8. Make mobile devices a top priority.

A big part of the website redesign process is ensuring your website looks great on any device, from desktops to smartphones. Images and font sizes may look perfect on your computer, but break or look cluttered on a phone screen.

Always optimize and test for mobile while rebranding your website.

9. Hire a professional company to help you.

Unless you’re a marketing guru, rebranding your business is not a DIY project. There are too many important elements of branding, programming, and implementation at play.

You should consider hiring a professional full-service web design and development company.

The website redesign process is iterative. You’re not going to nail it with one version.

By planning ahead and hiring the right people to get the job done, you’ll end up with a beautiful and functional online presence that you’ll be proud to share with the world.