In the digital realm, your website is the first interaction with customers. If it's not up to par, you could lose potential leads and sales every minute.
But, like any bustling storefront, your website needs a periodic redesign. This ensures it remains inviting, functional, and aligned with your business goals.
To restructure your website, you need to:
- Benchmark your current performance metricsKey indicators used to measure the effectiveness of affiliate marketing efforts, such as clicks, con...
- Protect your search-engine-optimized pages
- Create wireframes and prototypes
- Develop new content and visuals
- Integrate technical enhancements
- Test for responsive designA web design approach that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen ...
- Submit a sitemap
- Review the website's performance
These steps will help you achieve a website that not only looks great but also performs well. In this guide, let's discuss these in detail.
The Need to Restructure Your Website
Restructuring your website is crucial for keeping it fresh and engaging.
According to Business 2 Community, the typical website has a lifespan of 1.5 to 2.5 years. This short cycle indicates that users' expectations and needs change. To stay ahead of the competition, you must focus on the redesign.
Frequent restructuring helps in several ways:
- Improves user experience.
- Keeps the content relevant and fresh.
- Improves website performance.
Given these benefits, you should review your website every now and then. It will ensure the page aligns with industry standards and maintains effectiveness.
Signs Your Website Needs a Restructure
Knowing when to restructure your website can ensure optimal performance.
Here are clear signs that your website might need a redesign:
- Outdated design, especially in comparison with competitors.
- A high bounce rateThe percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page. with users having difficulty in navigation.
- Low conversionThe completion of a desired action by a referred user, such as making a purchase or filling out a fo... rates.
- Not mobile-responsive.
- Slow page loading speed.
- Decline in search engine rankingsThe position at which a website appears in the SERP..
- A change in business objectives.
Choosing Between DIY and Professional Website Restructuring
Before initiating, decide whether to handle the project yourself (DIY) or hire professionals.
Here are some factors to consider that can help you make the right choice:
Skill Level
Assess your own or your team's technical skills. DIY may be practical if you have experience with web design and development.
But if you are not confident about your ability, it's wise to consider professional help.
Budget
Professional website restructuring is expensive. But it's a worthwhile investment if you lack the time or skills.
If there are budget constraints, then go for the DIY approach.
Time Availability
Consider how much time you can dedicate to the project.
A professional team can complete the project fast. They have the skills and resources for seamless operations.
But, you may need more time if going the DIY route.
Complexity of the Redesign
The complexity of your redesign goals should also influence your decision.
If your website needs major changes, go for a team for efficient work.
Maintenance and Updates
Think about who will maintain your website after the redesign.
Professional designers can provide ongoing support and updates. This is helpful for keeping your website secure and functional.
The Restructuring Process
The restructuring process involves every aspect, from design to functionality. A keen eye for detail ensures that your website can serve your business goals.
Here are the steps involved in restructuring your website:
Step 1: Benchmark Your Current Performance Metrics
Before making any changes, it's essential to understand how your current website performs. This assessment will help identify areas that need improvement.
- Use analytics toolsSoftware used to track and analyze website performance, user behavior, and marketing efforts. to track user behaviors. This includes where they spend time, where they drop off, and what actions they take on your page.
- Review your search engine rankings, traffic levels, and sources of traffic.
- Determine how well your current site converts visitors into leads or customers.
- Review load times and mobile responsiveness that could be affecting user experience.
Step 2: Find Out What’s Working and What Is Not
Based on the data, determine what aspects of your website are performing well.
- Pinpoint features that users respond to. Consider how to preserve or expand these in your redesign.
- Get feedback from users. They can provide insights into what changes would most improve their experience.
- Compare your website with the competitors to see where you might improve or innovate.
Step 3: Protect Your Search Engine Optimized Pages
Safeguard the SEO value you've gained over time before attempting a website restructure. This preserves the existing SEO so the redesign does not harm existing rankings.
- Start by identifying the pages that currently rank well in the SERPs
- Maintain the URL structures. If you must change the URL structure, set up proper 301 redirects to link the old URLs to the new ones.
- Update the internal links to reflect any changes in the site's structure.
Step 4: Create Wireframes and Prototypes
Wireframes provide a clear outline of your site's layout. It helps you and your stakeholders visualize the structural changes.
Here’s how to create a prototype and wireframeA basic visual guide used in web design to suggest the structure and layout of a webpage.:
- Begin by sketching basic wireframes. These serve as the blueprint for your site layout, navigation, and content organization. Use tools like Balsamiq or Adobe XD.
- Convert wireframes into interactive prototypes that mimic real user interactions. For detailed prototyping, use tools like InVision or Axure.
- Conduct internal tests with your prototypes. Gather feedback from various team members to identify usability issues or potential improvements.
Step 5: Develop New Content and Visuals
New content and visuals ensure that your site is relevant and engaging for users. Fresh content can reinvigorate your site's appeal, increase engagementThe interactions that users have with a brand’s content on social media., and improve conversion rates.
Additionally, updated content is crucial for SEO. It helps your site maintain and improve its visibility in search engine results.
To refresh the content of your website:
- Review existing content to determine what you can keep, replace, and update.
- Create a content strategy that outlines the type of content your website needs. Make sure this strategy aligns with your business and SEO goals.
- Develop new textual content that is clear, engaging, and tailored to your audience. Ensure the content is SEO-optimized with relevant keywordsWords or phrases that users type into search engines to find information., headings, and meta descriptions.
- Design new visuals that resonate with your brand and appeal to your audience. This may include graphics, photo imagery, infographicsVisual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present complex information qu..., and icons. Use consistent styling to strengthen your brand identityThe visible elements of a brand, such as color, design, and logo, that identify and distinguish the ... across the site.
- Revise or create new videos, animations, and interactive elementsElements that require user interaction, such as buttons, forms, and sliders.. Ensure these elements are accessible and mobile-responsive.
- Review and edit all new content and visuals for clarity, style, and accuracy. It’s beneficial to have 2-3 rounds of reviews to ensure high-quality outputs.
Step 6: Integrate Technical Enhancements
Technical enhancements ensure your website is fast, secure, and functional.
A few steps to integrate technical upgrades in your website include:
- Assess the current technological setup of your website. Identify areas that need updates or are inefficient.
- Select appropriate technologies to upgrade. Consider caching techniques, dynamic image loading, and a robust CMS for website support.
- Develop a detailed plan for integrating new technologies. Ensure compatibility with existing systems and minimal disruption during implementation.
- Begin integrating selected technologies. This may involve installing new software, upgrading servers, or rewriting code.
- With new technologies, update your security protocols to protect against vulnerabilities. Review these security measures in a regular manner.
Step 7: Responsive Design Testing
Every internet user utilizes a different device, screen size, and operating system. A responsive design ensures that everyone can experience your website. No matter which device they use!
This step is critical for user satisfaction, engagement, and SEO.
Follow these steps to integrate mobile responsiveness into your website:
- Set up testing environments for various devices and screen sizes. This includes both physical devices and software-based emulators.
- Check how visuals such as images, videos, and text boxes scale and align on different screens. Ensure that layouts adjust without losing functionality or aesthetic appeal.
- Simulate common user interactions across devices to check for issues with interactive elements. Ensure these components are easy to use on touch screens and with mouse clicks.
- Ensure that the navigation menu is accessible and functional on all devices. Test dropdowns, sliders, and other navigation tools to ensure they work without glitches.
- Check the load times on different devices. A responsive website should adjust and load fast, regardless of the device.
- Use media queries in your CSS to apply different styles based on the device. Ensure that these queries trigger various resolutions and orientations.
Step 8: Review and Share Your Website
Once you complete the restructuring process, conduct a comprehensive website review.
- Check every page to ensure that all elements function as intended.
- The design should also be consistent across the site.
- Make sure all links are working, content is error-free.
- The site should be for SEO.
After the review, it's time to share your updated website. Announce the launch through emails, social media, and other marketing channels.
Encourage feedback from users to gather initial impressions and identify areas of improvement.
Step 9: Submit a Sitemap
The sitemap helps Google understand the new and updated pages. This will ensure the algorithms find and index them timely.
- Create an updated XML sitemapA file that lists a website’s important pages to ensure search engines can find and crawl them. that includes all URLs of your new website. This should cover all pages, including any new ones added during the redesign.
- Submit your sitemap using tools like Google Search ConsoleA tool by Google that helps monitor and maintain your site's presence in search results. and Bing Webmaster Tools. This will inform search engines, encouraging them to crawl and index new pages and your site.
- Review the status of your sitemap in the search console. Look for issues or errors that may prevent indexation, and address them in prompt manner.
Step 10: Check Website Performance
After launching your updated website, review its performance to ensure optimal functionality.
- Use tools like Google AnalyticsA web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. to track visitor behavior, engagement, and conversion rates.
- Keep tabs on search engine rankings through Google Search Console.
- Assess technical performance, including site speed and responsiveness, with tools such as GTmetrix
- Gather user feedback for insights into their experience and identify areas for improvement.
Based on these insights, make necessary adjustments to enhance the website. This ensures it meets user expectations and achieves business goals.
Ensuring a Successful Website Restructure
Restructuring your website can enhance user engagementThe level of interaction and involvement users have with social media content. and business performance.
By following the above steps, ensure that every aspect of your website aligns with user needs and business goals.
Remember, the key to a successful restructuring is not in the launch. It's about ongoing monitoring and adaptation based on user feedback and performance data.
Keep refining, updating, and optimizing to stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape. This will maintain your page's relevance and efficiency to meet users' high expectations. Ready to elevate your online presence? Contact Bliss Drive today to discover how our expert website redesign services can transform your site.
