How to Approach a Website Redesign
When did you last evaluate your website with a fresh set of eyes? Beyond just ensuring it functions correctly, does it represent your brand, guide your audience to the places where conversions are made, and meet your business goals? If you can’t definitively say “yes”, or it’s a hard “no”, it’s probably time to bite the bullet and make some changes.
But before you swirl into action like a hurricane and make wholesale changes, ask yourself: “What do I actually need my website to do for me?” Remember, a website redesign isn’t something to rush. Without a strategic plan, you could end up with a site that looks fantastically different but suffers from the exact same issues before you began the process.
A proper redesign is your opportunity to align every element of your website with your vision for your company. From reflecting your evolving business goals to addressing outdated user experiences, every detail matters. In this guide, we will provide a structured approach to ensure your redesign creates a site that looks great and performs at the highest level, so you don’t have to second guess any stage of the customer journey.
Define Your Goals Clearly
Having clear business goals for your website is the foundation of a successful redesign. While jumping straight into aesthetics is enticing and one of the more creatively rewarding tasks, centering your plan around your organization’s business goals will make the site all the more successful. Are you looking to increase leads, improve SEO rankings, reflect an updated brand image, or resolve functionality problems? Knowing your objectives should be your compass for making every critical decision.
Why it matters
Clear goals help you prioritize and make the right investments. For instance, if improving SEO is critical, your redesign should focus on site structure, speed, mobile compatibility, and creating content that provides value to the customer. On the other hand, if lead generation is the goal, your site will need intuitive landing pages, case studies, and strong calls to action that invite users to take the next step.
How to approach the redesign
Document your goals and discuss them with your team or a professional web designer. At Tiny Blue Sky, we collaborate with clients to ensure their objectives are clear and that every aspect of the redesign supports those goals.
Budget with Long-Term Success in Mind
Planning your budget means more than just tallying the upfront costs. A website redesign is an investment that should deliver measurable returns over time. Understanding where to allocate funds ensures you get the best value for your money. There is no point in stumping up for fancy plugins and animations if they don’t help you reach your business goals.
If you have had some success in specific areas of your site, allocate funds to double down on these initiatives. If you notice that competitors in your industry have devised a way to drive sales more effectively, enquire with your design team on what the cost of implementing this yourself might be.
Why it matters
An underfunded redesign can lead to an underperforming site, while overspending on flashy but unnecessary features can drain resources without adding real value. Striking the right balance is crucial. If you’re unsure of the exact metrics to measure your success, steer clear of playing the guessing game. A website redesign should be based on data that shows what can be achieved with a new approach and a defined budget.
How to approach it
Break your budget into design, development, content creation, and maintenance categories. Allocate extra for unforeseen expenses such as plugin updates, additional features, and revisions. Look for agencies or freelancers like Tiny Blue Sky that offer custom builds that maximize your investment, ensuring you get a site that grows with your business.
Choose a Platform That Works for You
Your website’s platform determines its capabilities and longevity. While many platforms offer simplicity, not all provide the scalability and flexibility a growing business needs.
For example, a platform like Squarespace or Wix allows users to get their site off the ground with drag-and-drop features quickly. However, while these platforms offer an out-of-the-box solution, they are not always a good fit for scaling a business or for custom features. At the end of the day, your choice should be defined based on your needs. If you require specific plugins, automation, and development-specific alterations, then going the basic landing page route may not be fit for purpose.
Why it matters
A restrictive platform can limit your ability to expand or adapt, leaving you with a site that feels dated or difficult to maintain. If the goal is to provide customers with every solution to any pain point they have now and in the future, give yourself the best chance at success with a website that grows with you.
How to approach it
WordPress is our platform of choice at Tiny Blue Sky. Its open-source nature allows for limitless customization, robust security, and scalability. Whether you need e-commerce capabilities, service-driven pages, or dynamic content, WordPress delivers.
You can also opt for custom development and let a trusted developer take over, enabling them to further your vision. It’s all about matching your needs and your customer’s needs with a platform that delivers.
Make SEO a Priority From Day One
A website redesign is an opportunity to ensure that your online presence works for you in every way. SEO plays a central role in driving visibility, attracting the right audience, and, ultimately, achieving your business goals. Neglecting SEO during a redesign can cost you rankings, traffic, and valuable leads. SEO must be baked into your strategy from the beginning to avoid this.
Why it matters
Search engines are the most significant source of organic traffic. If your site isn’t optimized, you’re invisible to potential customers searching for the solutions you offer. Prioritizing SEO from the outset means ensuring that your site is built to be found, whether users are looking for specific keywords, products, or services.
How to approach it
Start with research. Use tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner to identify the phrases your audience uses most frequently. These keywords should inform your page structure, headers, and meta descriptions.
Mobile responsiveness and speed optimization should also be non-negotiable. Google’s mobile-first indexing means your mobile site experience directly impacts your rankings.
Finally, plan for redirects and technical SEO. Old URLs that won’t carry over must be redirected to their new counterparts using 301 redirects to preserve existing rankings. Conduct an audit to eliminate broken links and duplicate content, and remember to create an updated XML sitemap to guide search engines through your site.
Don’t Overlook Security and Maintenance
One of the most common reasons clients come to Tiny Blue Sky for a website redesign is the alarming state of their site’s security. Frequent error messages, a flood of security alerts, and vulnerabilities exploited by hackers are business-critical problems. A porous website is a headache for you and a flashing red flag for customers. It undermines trust, tarnishes your reputation, and sometimes even puts sensitive customer data at risk.
Why It Matters
Imagine landing on a website that immediately triggers a browser security warning. Would you stay? Likely not. For e-commerce businesses, the stakes are even higher. Customers hesitate to input payment details on a unreliable or insecure site.
Remember, your website is your digital storefront. If it’s not secure and well-maintained, customers will leave!
How to Approach It
Staying on top of maintenance helps prevent minor issues from spiralling into costly problems. Outdated plugins, for example, are a favorite target for hackers. Routine updates, backups, and performance monitoring aren’t just optional; they’re vital to keeping your site in peak condition.
By prioritizing security and maintenance from the start, you protect your investment, safeguard your reputation, and provide customers with the seamless, trustworthy experience they expect. We want our clients to focus on growing their business while we handle the technical details to keep their website safe and secure.
Focus on the User Experience
The cold, hard truth is that while having a flashy website you can call your own feels good, it isn’t for you—it’s for your visitors. The design, navigation, and functionality should make their journey effortless and enjoyable. What vibes with your preferred browsing method may cause a disjointed user experience for others, no matter how compelling your product or service.
Why it matters
Clunky design, inconsistent branding, or convoluted pathways create frustration, making it easy for users to abandon your site and look elsewhere. Even worse, poor user experience can undermine your credibility.
If your website feels disjointed or outdated, visitors may assume your business operations are the same. Conversely, a well-structured, visually cohesive site builds confidence, encourages exploration, and engages users. First impressions are everything. A seamless, intuitive site gives you the edge over competitors and turns casual visitors into loyal customers.
How to Approach It
Step into your customers’ shoes every step of the way. Replicate the journey you take with a different lens and ask unbiased opinions of friends or peers to give you their take. Test every pathway, from the homepage to the checkout process, to leave no stone unturned. If you identify bottlenecks or pain points, you can address them before you go live.
Build for Today and Tomorrow with Tiny Blue Sky
A website redesign should be a cornerstone of your updated business strategy. Done right, it creates a foundation for growth, engagement, and success.
We’re committed to creating websites that meet today’s standards and are built to last. From custom WordPress builds to comprehensive maintenance plans, we align your vision with every aspect of your website.
Let’s collaborate to create a site that reflects your goals and drives your business forward. Reach out today to get started.