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3 Tips for Redesigning a Website

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Date
14th July 2011
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Author
GWS Team

If you feel that your business' website has reached a point where it's not achieving as much attention as you want it to and you're receiving less visitors, or if the site is looking a bit old fashioned, it might be time for a redesign.

Although redesigning a site might sound like a big project, and improvements to an existing site can help its usability and your company's visibility, these measures can only take you so far, particularly if your site is many years old.

As with any aspect of a business, it is important to stay competitive in your sector, and because your website is often the first port of call for potential clients or customers, making a strong first impression is essential.

While there are technical considerations when it comes to website design (in terms of structure and content), we've put together some design-related tips to think about when approaching the renewal of a website.

When it comes to thinking about how you might change the look of your site, a good first step is reflect on the existing design to consider how it can be improved visually.

 

1. Navigation.

Making sure your website has clear navigation is a fundamental aspect of designing a user-friendly site which will encourage visitors to spend more time on the site and to return to it.

If navigation isn't clear enough, visitors will be more likely to give up on your site without gaining a clear understanding of your company, resulting in the loss of potential business.

One approach is to make clear and comprehensible lists of areas on the site, and then group them in a relevant order - you can then ensure that a visitor's path through a website achieves a natural flow.

Test the navigation on your current site - if it makes sense and keeps all the areas accessible then retain the current structure, but if there are areas that are even a little unclear, this is something you should focus on improving.

Don't hide anything away on the site; if visitors can't find all the information they need easily, this will disrupt the flow.

Design choices should work with navigation, and never obscure it.

 

Better Living Through Design has a clear, uncluttered navigation system that works with the overall look of the site

 

2. Consider your target market.

As with any form of marketing, your website should be aimed at a particular visitor(s).

Focus on the visitors you are aiming your website at (for instance, is it just to introduce clients, or are you selling a product) and make sure your design choices reflect that audience and its needs and expectations.

Compare the layout and content of your website to those of your competitors and peers.

This is not only a great way to get inspiration, but research also gives you a chance to think about what sets you apart from the competition.

Ask yourself where you can add value to your website - by focusing on who the website is for and catering for their needs, you can think about ways to make sure that person stays on your site for longer.

Builder DL Barrett added a gallery of previous jobs, giving prospective clients an immediate sense of their skills and expertise

 

3. Reflect your business.

It almost goes without saying that a website should be attractive to look at, but design quality needs to work in tandem with the nature of your business.

Of course visitors will be more attracted by a site that is visually interesting, but you need to make sure that design choices reflect your business, both in terms of the kind of business image you want to project (serious? friendly? professional? caring?) and in relation to the sector in which you operate.

These thoughts will have a strong impact on the choices you make about colour and the kinds of imagery you choose - for example, certain colours and shapes might be appropriate to a solicitor but less so for a manufacturer.

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GWS Media have over two decades of experience in all areas of online marketing work, from logo design and website design and development to copywriting, content marketing, SEO and email marketing. Contact us today for a chat about your project, and we'll be delighted to see if we can help.

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