Having a website is an obvious need for any business owner in 2020. But it’s imperative that your website is functional, attractive, and able to serve your greater business goals. At a certain point, your organization might wonder whether it’s become necessary to develop a website redesign strategy in order to succeed in your industry. But while there are a number of good reasons to consider a redesign, there are also some reasons not to.

Before you ever delve into the top tips for website redesign, it’s important to determine your motivation for wanting a redesign in the first place. To that end, we’re sharing when you should — and shouldn’t — contact web designers in your area to overhaul your existing site.

Good Reasons to Redesign Your Site

• It isn’t responsive: Years ago, web design trends included developing a site only for desktop users. In some cases, businesses might have had a completely separate website for mobile use. But either way, site design put desktop users first. That’s all changed. Now, four out of five consumers shop on smartphones, and a huge portion of web traffic comes from mobile. If your site wasn’t designed with these users in mind, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table and damaging your brand — all without realizing it. If your site was designed several years ago or it wasn’t created to be responsive (which automatically adjusts based on the device used to view the site), you’ll want to consider having your site redesigned. Otherwise, you could risk hurting your rankings, your leads, and your conversions.

• You’ve had a recent rebrand: One of the main tips for website redesign is that your branding should be infused into your site’s new design. But if your business recently rebranded with a new name — or even just a new logo and redefined purpose — it’s likely that your current website doesn’t align with all that hard work you’ve done on your branding. If you’re planning to change your name or relaunch with a new direction, your website should support your goals and show consistency. You’ll want to contact a web designer to ensure you can hit the ground running as soon as those changes become public.

Bad Reasons For Website Redesign

• Your biggest competitor recently redesigned their site: It’s understandable that you’d want to keep tabs on your competition in order to get ahead. But that doesn’t mean you should copy everything they do. It’s possible that your competitor had some legitimate reasons to redesign their website — and it’s also possible that you don’t share those reasons (and that might be a good thing!). There’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other websites that work well, but a complete site overhaul is a real investment. And if your current site is helping you achieve your goals, there’s no reason to disrupt that with a new design. Plus, there are other ways to come out on top — like investing in SEO, PPC, or other forms of marketing — that won’t require you to completely redesign your site.

• You’re desperate to salvage your sales or reputation: Anyone who dispenses tips for website redesign knows that everything needs to serve a purpose. But redesigning your site won’t fix problems that have deeper roots. Sure, you can make improvements to your site that can guide customers through their journey. But you shouldn’t automatically assume that your website is the reason why you aren’t getting leads or conversions. Redoing your website also won’t help much if your brand perception is already damaged due to other circumstances; if your online reviews are poor, a flashy new site isn’t going to salvage your reputation. Before contacting a web designer, you’ll need to identify the barriers to your business’s success and decide whether your site is actually what needs to be fixed.

Ultimately, one of the most important tips for website redesign is to figure out whether you really need one in the first place. If you’ve decided a redesign is appropriate — or if you need help figuring out your next moves — we’re here to help. Contact us today for more information.