How to avoid the typical website redesign mistakes?

Redesigning your website is an easy way to breathe new life into your business.  If done right, a website redesign can be an effective way for a business to present a sleek and professional new image to both existing and potential customers. It can completely transform your brand and comes with a myriad of benefits.

At the same time, it is an arduous process that can consume a lot of time and money through numerous setbacks if it is done incorrectly.

Here is a checklist of the most common website redesign mistakes that companies make and some tips on how to avoid them.

Goals

The first thing you need to establish are the goals of your redesign process. If you don’t have a clear reason for redesigning your website, why are you doing it in the first place? Make sure you are setting out to improve certain aspects of the design, messaging, or functionality of your site. Change for the sake of change probably isn’t worth it.

The next step would then be laying out exactly the scope of your redesign. You don’t want to completely change your mind halfway through the process, so take the time to have an extensive planning period where you do nothing but decide what changes you want to make. Most typical redesign mistakes can be linked through rushing through the planning process.

Budget

Another typical mistake companies tend to make in their redesign is not setting a realistic budget for their efforts. A sophisticated custom website with a responsive design will cost significantly more than a basic page, but it is probably worth it in the long run.

Don’t base your estimates on what you paid for your last redesign years ago. Shop around and get quotes from different web designers to get an idea of what the whole process will cost.

Research what your competition is doing on their sites. What elements do you like? What problems do you see that you want to avoid. Don’t be afraid to implement features that you like on other sites into your own.

Additionally, while it can seem like a big money saver to go with the cheapest options on the market, typically pre-built sites do not have the functionality and flexibility a successful company needs in their website. Those services are great for personal blogs, but a commercial endeavor should invest in a custom site.

Professional

Be sure that the firm you hire to complete your redesign is capable of handling the job. Conduct a thorough interview of any potential partner prior to hiring them, and research their past work as much as you can. Choosing the wrong agency for your redesign can be an extremely costly mistake.

This will have perhaps the single biggest impact on your new website out of all the other factors involved. Make sure there is a clear decision making process in both your company and theirs and ensure that there will be consistent communication between both sides. Try to limit the number of people who are working on the design and development stages of the project to avoid the pitfalls of redesign by committee.

Work with your design firm to establish a realistic timeline for each task so you are not scrambling to put out a sub-par product at the last minute. Remember it is the quality that matters ultimately. If it takes a few extra weeks to get it done right, it will be worth it.

Keep working.

The biggest mistake companies make is thinking that their job is done once the new website is launched. Websites are not projects with a beginning and an end. A website constantly evolves and changes.

Get ready to keep adding new content to your new website. Great quality content is what will set your website apart from the rest.