Is It Time for a Website Redesign?
This post was updated on January 10, 2019.
Your website is your public face and often the first interaction between your business and its prospects. When you take a long hard look at yours, do you see an outdated and tired site staring back? Does it look like your competitors? Is it tough to navigate and has slow load times? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, you’ll want to think about a website redesign.
Other reasons for a website redesign include:
- Your current site is not responsive, meaning it’s not mobile-friendly.
- You need more leads and are not getting the results you want.
- Your business has shifted, and so has your target audiences and service offerings.
- Your brand strategy has changed.
- You need to show up better in search engines.
While there’s not a major departure in website design, from what we saw in 2018, you’ll start to see a widening gap between companies that stay ahead of website design trends and those that are falling behind.
If you want your website to be current and stay ahead of your competitors, here are some top website redesign tips and trends to consider:
Responsive is a must. Mobile web browsing has hit an all-time high, with no signs of slowing down. A Google study of mobile users found that 72 percent of them said it’s important that websites are mobile-friendly, yet 96 percent have visited a site that doesn’t work well on their device. Almost three-quarters of respondents said they were more likely to revisit a mobile-friendly website. If the website isn’t optimized for mobile use, users are five times more likely to abandon the task they are trying to complete. Seventy nine percent said that they will go back to search and try to find another website to meet their needs.
Think like a customer and personalize. What does your target audience want from your website? What are their pain points? How can you get them there quicker and with less clicks? By focusing your efforts on the customer and personalizing the User Experience (UX), based on demographics, company, industry, geography and preferences, you’ll connect with your audience faster. In addition, you’ll help them understand how you can provide them with solutions and make them feel like you’re addressing their needs, which will lead to more conversions. You can accomplish this by engaging and informing them through key messaging that targets what’s most interesting and concerning to them. Also, focus on your unique selling propositions to show value.
Video is still moving in. More and more, you’ll see video on websites, throughout websites and all over the web. According to Forbes, the average user spends 88 percent more time on a website with video. Additionally, more video content is uploaded in 30 days than the major US television networks have created in 30 years. Cisco, a multinational technology conglomerate, states that internet video to TV will increase threefold, between 2017 to 2022. With faster connections and better mobile connectivity, video is a natural fit when conveying complex messages, connecting on a deeper level and engaging with your audience.
Incorporate animations and movement. As the internet evolves at breakneck speeds and the amount of content continues to grow, grabbing the attention of your visitors and moving their eyes through your website to keep them engaged has become crucial. Scroll triggered animation, which will make your website look uncluttered, inspires users to scroll down your website pages. It’s imperative to include interactive components, to amplify engagement.
Add more color. With browsers evolving and designers looking for new ways to engage readers, color gradients are starting to take over backgrounds and blend away the boxy white/grey backgrounds of yesteryear. Color temperature and hue will start to take over dull boring backgrounds on websites.
Use big fonts. See you later squinting eyes. Headlines need to be big, bold and able to tell a story through multiple headlines, as thumb flicking intensifies. Your headlines must convey your messages, as users skip, scan and scroll feverishly through your website. The trend toward bold fonts, coupled with minimalism, is a winning combination for 2019.
The following are more trends to consider, for a website redesign, according to an infographic by Red Website Design titled “10 Web Design Trends That Will Take Charge in 2019,” posted on Social Media Today:
- Grid Layouts — These types of layouts are quickly becoming the configuration of many websites. One of the benefits is that it keeps website elements in line, along with displaying information in an orderly way.
- Sticky Elements — Sticky navigation is one of the more prominent trends in website design. The trend is moving toward having more sticky elements at the top, bottom or sides of your page, so it doesn’t interrupt the user experience. These elements can highlight your social media links, call-to-action and/or chatbot.
- Chatbots — This allows website visitors the option to ask questions, without the need for human interaction. The tactic can help your business save money and time, while increasing sales and efficiencies, since you don’t need a live person to field those inquiries.
- Voice User Interface (VUI) — This technology enables the user to employ voice input, to control computers and devices. Although the technology is new, it’s rapidly growing thanks to Alexa and Echo by Amazon.
To stay top of mind, tip of finger and relevant to your target audiences, you’re going to have to train yourself to look at your website from your customer’s perspective. Let go of the past and what used to work. Instead, focus your website redesign efforts on what is currently happening, in addition to what your customers need and are expecting when they visit your website.
Are you interested learning more about how to start a website redesign? Contact us today, to begin the conversation.