Ready for a Website Redesign? Here’s how to know if it’s time and how to do it
Ahhh that tricky little sucker of a thought that pops up for you once you’ve been in business for a little while…
Is it time for a website redesign?
Is what you should be doing in your business really redesigning a website that you know works ok but you just WANT to do it - you don’t actually need to.
Or is it just procrastination from what you think you should be doing, for example, delving deeper into your marketing?
Or you KNOW you need to do it but you’ve been putting it off and you need someone to tell you, that yep, you do indeed need to get your new site done asap?!
I’m going to help you get out of your head with this frustrating quagmire and let you get real clear on if you should get a website redesign and then HOW to go about it.
Here are 7# Reasons Why You Need a Website Redesign
Wondering when it’s time to redesign a website? Here are #7 key indicators it’s probably time for a website overhaul.
1. Your Website is Outdated
Let’s face it the way our businesses move nowadays is quite fast paced - especially as of writing this, just coming out of the pandemic. You may have pivoted your offerings and the language you use on your website is all tailored towards your old offers. Perhaps your clients have changed too.
For instance if you’re a service provider like myself and you’ve decided to offer more passive income products such as website templates and ease yourself out of the 1:1 model then it’s probably time to have a brand rehaul.
2. Your Website isn’t Mobile-Friendly
This is a pretty obvious one. If you’ve been in business for quite awhile (6+ years) and your website was made on a system that wasn’t mobile design friendly then that sucks but you MUST have a redesign and get with the modern times.
According to Statista, 54% of all website views are made on mobile. This will only increase I’m sure, so make sure that your website reads well on mobile and other tablet devices.
3. Your Website is Slow and Unresponsive
Not only is this frustrating for your clients but it’s also a big no no for Google. Pretty much the entire population use google to search for information nowadays. If you want to be found for what you’re known for on Google then be careful because they will penalise you for having a slow website. They don’t like pages that take too long to load.
Going back to your clients - you and I both know that when you’ve gone to a website and it takes more than a few seconds to load, we move on. It’s sad but true, in this day and age unfortunately we’re so easily distracted, that a slow website just won’t cut it.
Quick tip, resize your images so that they’re under 500kb as that’s a very quick thing you can do that may be slowing your site down.
4. Your Website Lacks Important Features and Functionality
Is your website doing everything you need it to do?
Do you want to make scheduling in clients easier and have a scheduling tool integrated with your website but can’t because it’s a janky old system?
The structure of your website isn’t intuitive to your clients journey. Simply it’s not an “easy to navigate” style website.
5. Your Website No Longer Represents Your Brand/Business
In the entrepreneurial world things move fast and we as people evolve at lightning speed. The woman that I am now is a totally different woman who started this business over 4 years ago.
Though my business has remained pretty constant without big offer changes, this may not be the same for you. You may have gone from teaching people one to one and now only do group coaching programs and it’s all online rather than in person as before.
If you have big changes with who you are and how you’re showing up in the world or big changes in your business, you can’t just change the copy in a couple of places. You need to make a splash and rebrand to who you are now and who your business is now.
6. Your Website is Hard to Navigate
You do not want your website to be confusing for your clients. You want to make it as simple as possible for them to book a call with you, pay for your services, sign up to your email.
You do not want to overwhelm them with so much information that they don’t know where to start, so they just leave.
7. Your Website Doesn’t Attract Your Target Audience
Something I stand by is that you have to design your website and brand so that it is a good reflection of you, especially when you are the one selling the services. We want your clients to connect with you.
That being said, if your work is helping clients with grief and your personality is super bubbly and you love hot pink, I would suggest erring on the calmer/softer colours that you like that also match your personality but in a more suitable way.
Next step… How are you going to get the website redesigned and built?
There are 3 options for you, ranging from whether you like doing things yourself, dabbling a little but need something already in place that you can follow or lastly, hand that sucker over and get someone else to do it all for you. Look at the following options and see which you think is best suited to you…
Do-it-Yourself
This is the least expensive of the three options and it’s great if you know your way around the website building platform you’re using but there is a lot of scope for you to maybe not realise your vision for what you want.
I’ve had many clients who have tried to do it themselves to save money and been happy with the result, though of course this isn’t always the case. If you feel confident with it - go at it! Especially if you have an eye for design 💻
Templates
Ahhh templates. Now I’m very happy to say that templates have come a long way in recent years and are easy to use, budget-friendly and customizable to a degree.
Your best bet when deciding to use a template for a rebrand is picking one that has a certain style that you like that goes with the vision you have for your rebrand. Of course colours can be changed and fonts but I find it’s so much easier to find one that goes with your hoped for aesthetics.
One thing about templates is that you really must be organised before you get into it.
Have your notepad at the ready with the rough sketch of what you want your website to do so that when you’re searching the web for the right template for you, that it already has things such as the option to have your scheduling tool added in etc (if thats what’s important to you).
Hire a Website Designer
The most costly of the three options but by far the best option for having a super stylish rebrand that is tailored exactly to you by a professional that will nail your vision and then some.
When you’re doing the two DIY options you are reliant on your own skills, this can be quite a time suck and not be something that is suited to your zone of genius.
Not everyone can design a beautiful website and that’s ok. We’re not amazing at everything and getting something done that’s “ok” is not really going to cut it.
You want your new potential clients to see your website / brand and be like woah, I love this person, I have to work with them! That is 100% what you get when you work with the right website designer.
If you want some super helpful tips on how to pick the right website designer for you, I’ve written a great post for you here >>>
Having a rebrand is such a great way to re-engage with current and potential clients. There’s a new energy that comes with a rebrand that is magical in giving your business a breath of new life. It’s the perfect way to put yourself out there, touch base with your audience over email, see what they think, get the conversation started.
Need Help with Your Website Redesign? That’s What I’m Here For!
Yay, you’ve made the decision you’re ready for a website redesign whether that’s because...
your website is outdated
your website isn’t mobile-friendly
your website is slow and unresponsive
your website lacks important features and functionality
your website no longer represents your brand/business
your website is hard to navigate
your website doesn’t attract your Target audience
We’ve chatted about how you can redesign your existing website from doing it yourself, using a template or hiring a website designer.
But you may need some help with where to find the right template for you or who to choose to design your website. Well I can most definitely help you with both of those.
You can learn more about my own website design services here or schedule a free consultation call to see how I can help bring your website redesign to life.
If you’re interested in the templates I have to offer, well they’re coming in the New Year, but you can be the first to know about them, simply by adding your name to my ‘template mailing list’ below.
I am soooo friggin’ excited for you to get your website and branding all jooshed up and truly representing you and making it super easy for your clients to ‘show you the moooonnneeeeyyyyy’.
Ready for a rebrand? Check out my 3 Part Series…
This is the first blog in a 3-part series all about rebranding your website. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the other 2 posts. These posts will give you a greater insight into how a rebrand works and to also see some visual examples.
1. Ready for a Website Redesign? Here’s how to know if it’s time and how to do it (THIS POST)
Your website may be doing your business more harm than good if it doesn't align with your brand. Here’s how to determine if it’s time for a website redesign and how to do it.
2. Rebranding Your Business to Better Align with Who You Are: Website Example
Thinking of rebranding your business? Learn the benefits of business rebranding and how to update your website to align with your new focus and goals.
3. Here’s How to Rebrand Your Business in #7 Steps (case study)
Rebranding your business is a big decision, one I took not too long ago. Learn how to rebrand your business from start to finish from my personal experience.