Web Design Silver Spring MD

Is It Time To Redesign?

Design trends come and go faster than reality TV show weddings. So even if you had a killer website that Madonna said was “cool” in 1989, times change and so does web design and development, and eventually you are going to be in serious need of a redesign. Here are 4 key warning signs that it’s time for your website to be redesigned:

1. Analytics Tell You Something is Wrong

The biggest and most obvious indicator that your site needs to undergo a facelift is when your metrics are starting to drop. If your website attracted, at one time, as much traffic as the movie theater on a Friday night and now it looks more like the highway at 3 a.m.- you’ve got a problem.

It is possible that other factors are causing this tank in visitors, such as your product or services no longer being suitable for your market. But if you have ruled this out and you still notice a decrease in sales, traffic, and user interaction, your website is not effectively connecting with your viewers anymore.

To redesign your site successfully, you must discover what areas are problematic and why. This could mean a minor adjustment to the workflow or a complete makeover.

2. Your Audience Says So

Once your metrics start telling you your site isn’t doing too well, it’s time to ask your audience what they think.

Social media is an excellent platform to do this and get people to communicate with each other and with you about what they like and don’t like about your website. Not only will you be getting the feedback you need to make a successful redesign, but you will also be engaging your users and they will appreciate being involved.

The problem could be a simple fix in workflow, or it could be deeper-rooted in a negative brand perception. Whichever it may be, the sooner you know the sooner you can fix it.

3. The Young Calf is Now an Old Bull

Sometimes your website just looks old. Design trends come and go quickly, what was once modern is now retro.

If you are finding a disconnect between the aesthetics of your site and your customers, check out other successful sites in your industry or just in general. Right now, a lot of people come to us and point out Apple.com and Starbucks.com as websites they find successful and appealing. Why is that? Because the current design trend is simple and clean aesthetics. Nice, large banner images, videos, ample whitespace, and clean sans-serif fonts.

Take indications from popular sites that reel in a lot of traffic. And be prepared to redesign again and again.

4. You Haven’t Hit Refresh in Over 1 Year

The other indicators of a redesign may not be prevalent in your site, but if it’s been over 12 months since your last redesign, it’s time to refresh. A general rule of thumb in design is that no trend stays on top for more than a year’s span.

Updating your site aesthetics is one of the best ways to keep your user experience fresh and interesting for your current users and to potentially appeal to a new market.

Your viewers and future viewers will appreciate your efforts to stay current and relevant, always keeping them on their toes.