Redesigning your website, web application, or blog regularly is an excellent idea. A new coating of paint keeps you up-to-date, enhances user experience, and enhances your brand. When it comes to a comprehensive web design, it’s more than only what’s visible that’s important.
A full redesign of a website requires many moving components. Even if you already have people visiting your website, The last thing you’d want to do is destroy something good just because you want to give it a fresh look. It could end up being an attractive new design; however, the process will not be as stunning.
Managing a redesign of your website is a mixture of science and art. Therefore, in order to guide you (and your visitors) through the process as easy as you can, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Strategy
Before you can begin listing all the features you’d like or go to Pinterest for ideas on design, You must begin by defining the reason you’re doing this revamp.
Website redesign isn’t an easy task, And according to the UX agency, Intechnic 33 percent of marketers aren’t satisfied with the outcomes of their design. Knowing why is going to help to inform every decision, you make during the process. It will also help you establish expectations about what you’re expected to get after the dust has settled.
Begin by thinking about the goals that you would like to achieve through the redesign
You probably already know the primary reason you’re looking to revamp your website. It is advisable to explore as far as you can at this point. Are you looking to:
Reduce bounce rates by changing the way you display your website’s content. In addition, how are you improving the speed of loading your site?
Improve the number of pages you visit by making your website easier to navigate and the content easier to locate.
Improve the time spent on a page by adding pages or categories. Or content?
Enhance the social share of your website to be more appealing and get it in line with your branding.
Increase your organic search traffic by improving your SEO on your site.
Do you want to make your website more mobile-friendly?
Test various CTAs to increase your conversions.
You may also wish to perform a quick competitor analysis. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors and potential points you should pay attention to (as well as aspects you wish to stay clear of).
The next step is to invite important stakeholders to listen to their opinions.
It’s likely that you’re not the only one looking to enhance your website. Everyone from HR to marketing and sales has their individual goals and opinions about the way your website and branding should be presented.
While the addition of too many cooks to the kitchen may create more complexity, it’s essential to find everyone’s perspective before getting too caught up. This includes getting information from:
The project manager: It’s most likely you. You are the one who oversees the day-to-day operations of the redesign and makes sure that your deliverables are punctually and with the level you and the team are expecting.
The Project Owner, The Project Owner is the person in charge of making final decisions on the project as well as the direction it is taking. In most instances, this person is the same person as the project manager. But, it can also be a team leader or CEO or another executive, so you should be able to understand their concerns and suggestions also.
Other stakeholders: This could mean Sales and HR, Customer Support IT, Contributors, and so on… This not just will protect you from tension in the office (no person wants to feel that they’ve been left out!), but it also increases the likelihood of getting their support for the idea. One way to get a clear understanding of their goals is to give everyone a copy of Jim Kalbach’s UX Strategy Blueprint and have the participants fill out the following form: The Strategy Blueprint.
Customers: If you’re planning more intricate changes, it’s likely worthwhile to conduct usability tests in person tests to find out the areas where users are experiencing issues with your current website.
Step 2: Planning
Once your goal is established, and your objectives are set, it’s time to think about the best way to implement the redesign of your website.
I think you’re thinking: Isn’t this the same thing we’ve done with our strategy document? But it’s not quite. The document that you used to plan your strategy provided you with the specifics of what’s important and the outcomes you’d like to be able to see; it’s more of an overall view. Now, you’re ready to dive into the details.
Make a vision document, then move backward.
If you are you are managing any task, the most effective place to start is at the close of the project.
Consider, if everything went as I’d like it to, then how this brand new website would look, feel and feel like?
Imagine working in reverse. You can create a mood board or collect ideas for the type of website you’d like yours to be. You can also go further and write an outline of what your site will look like once it’s complete. Define what it’s going to do and what it will include, and the reasons why your visitors will be thrilled.
It’s not just a feel-good document, either. A well-written vision document explains the steps needed to turn your website into an actual reality. It allows designers to decide what to do: purchase an off-the-shelf WordPress theme or invest long hours of researching and user testing in order to build an innovative experience.
Another approach is to follow the same thing that Amazon CTO Werner Vogels does and start an initiative by writing the press release:
“The press release explains in an easy way what the product is and the reason it is there, as well as the benefits and features. It should be concise and clear. The press release you write in the beginning clarifies what the world will think about the product and not only what we think of it internally.”Build an extensive to-do list
When you’re writing the list of tasks for your redesign of your website, basically, you’re using every goal you’ve got from your strategy document and asking, “how do I do this?”
The great thing about this approach is that, even though you may not be able to pinpoint what the final website is likely to appear like, you have an idea of what results in you’d like to achieve. From there, you’ll be able to choose the features, page designs, elements of design, CTAs, etc… you’ll require to reach your goals.
Discuss your ideas with your team and create a massive list of things to be completed. Then, break each task down into the smallest part of the task. At the end of the day, every target should have every step planned out to take the goal from where it is today to your brand-new website.
Estimate the cost (both in time and in money)
It’s time to start seriously. In order to create an action plan for your site redesign, you need to set a deadline and a cost for each project. It can be a hassle.
Even the most skilled project managers face difficulties with estimation. However, both time and cash are the two most important resources. Getting approval for your website’s redesign is about having a good idea of the time it will take and what you’ll have to pay.
Step 3: Begin building
Are you up to taking on this challenge? Because now is the time to build the thing! You’ve got a plan and a plan that’s solid, that’s largely put together. It’s time to make it a reality.
Begin building
The kickoff meeting
After all the effort you’ve spent on planning and strategy, A well-organized start-up meeting can rekindle the excitement and set the momentum flowing again for the redesign of your website. It’s an opportunity to gather your team, as well as the project manager and any other stakeholders, to set expectations and inform them know the timeframe for the project. Style tiles wireframes, mockups, wireframes, and even prototypes
A primary thing that you’ll likely do while developing your site is test concepts. It is important to understand how your website looks and feels before you commit to writing code. Let’s review a few of the methods and tools available to achieve this:
Style Tiles to get early feedback on design visuals
Style tiles can be a good way to discover the visual direction in the beginning without having to make a full mockup. In their simplest form, they’re snapshots of how your website might appear with different types of colors, colors, branding, or design features. They will give you an impression of what’s working and what’s not. They also will allow you to receive immediate approval on the direction you should take.
One of the benefits of using style tiles is that they allow users to feel that they have the final say from the beginning. Instead of presenting a comprehensive mockup that doesn’t feel complete, it’s “less to lose,” giving open and honest feedback on a style tile.
Wireframes that can be used to tackle UX and navigation problems
Wireframes provide what you call the “skeleton” view of what your brand-new website will appear like. They’re static images that show how your pages will appear as well as the areas where content is required and how the site will ultimately function.
Step 4: Launch your new site onto your CMS
It’s finally time to convert all those gorgeous designs into equally stunning code.
If you’re building a brand new site, this portion of the process is more difficult than simply giving your existing site some cosmetic changes and keeping the backend in place. Let’s say you’re taking it all on and creating something completely new.
Begin by selecting a brand-new CMS
The Content Management System or CMS will allow you to quickly add new content to your site and maintain your website after the new launch. It’s essential to select a system you’re comfortable with, and that is strong enough to perform everything you need to do.
There are many choices to pick from, making this not an easy choice. It is a good idea to meet with your developers or with the agency you’re working for and discuss the features you want to have in your ideal package. Ask questions like:
What frequency will the website be updated? Frequently? Rarely? Never?
Who is responsible for editing the site or maintaining the site? Is it the administrator or the developer? A single person? Or a group of writers and editors that require different permissions as well as an approval/publishing workflow?
Will the site be multilingual? What will be the process for submitting translations?
Do you have a blog that has a comment? Do you think it should be moderated?
What leads, such as subscriptions or email addresses going to be identified?
Do we expect to see downloadable content, such as whitepapers or electronic books?
Do audio and video need to be hosted, or can they be integrated via Vimeo or YouTube?
Do not only consider what you require in the present but also think about what others on the site could require in the near future. It’s a massive disappointment to select a basic static website generator that doesn’t have a CMS, which is extremely fast but cannot handle the blog you choose to launch six months from today.
There’s no universal solution that works for everyone. Here are a few final pieces of advice to guide you along the way:
Don’t choose to use WordPress only because everybody else is doing it: WordPress may power a quarter of the web. However, many developers complain that it’s a huge collection of old code that has various security problems. It is recommended to utilize it only if you have a valid reason to, such as plugins that you’ll definitely require or if your staff are WordPress professionals and know the ropes. In the meantime, you should consider a managed WordPress hosting service or wordpress.com to avoid the work of maintaining.
Do not choose a flashy new CMS or framework for the sake of “try it out”: The developers love to test the latest technologies, but your business’s primary website isn’t the right place for this. Except if you’re launching an unrelated microsite, select a CMS that is solid and has a background and a substantial community and the plugin ecosystem. Your new website might need to be maintained and updated over the years, and the latest and dazzling JavaScript framework may not be in use anymore.
Find out if a static website generator can meet your requirements. If your website isn’t changing often, or your editors are prepared to master Markdown or some HTML, a static website generator such as Jekyll or Middleman could be a great alternative. The speed of pages is becoming an ever more crucial search factor for ranking, and nothing can beat the speed of pre-built, statically generated HTML pages. Remember, you don’t have a backend or updates. It could be too complicated for some users.
5. Launching the program and turning on the switch
Alright! You’re now ready to take your final climb and shout from the top of the mountain to everyone about how fantastic your brand-new website is. However, before you are excited and turn that big knob, there’s a second important thing to complete.
Plan your launch
You’ve put a lot of effort into redesigning your website, So why not take a break just ahead of the finishing line? The launch plan outlines the way you’ll inform your users (current as well as new) about your website and ways to use the opportunity to do powerful marketing.
Here are a few points you need to include in your plan for launch (as an absolute minimum):
Contacts to existing users If you don’t speak with your customers often, This is an excellent occasion to reconnect with their mailboxes. Let them know about the changes. Explain the new features, and include a link to an article that explains the motivation behind your redesign. It is also an occasion to solicit their opinions in order to help you identify any issues or bugs.
Videos or blog posts Redesigning your blog is an excellent opportunity to start creating a story. You have so many blog articles or videos that you could create that not doing it seems like a huge missed chance. Consider the issue from a business point of view. How did you decide to change the design? What were the objectives? What was the perspective of design? Discuss with your design team about the brand’s new look and the issues they have come up with. Are there any opportunities to return to the drawing board to create other visual assets, such as refreshing the design of your book covers or selecting a new layout for your images on your social media and blogs? Also, what do you think of the CEO’s speech about the history of the company and how you got there to the present? Do not underestimate the value you will get from your revamp.
Social media, PR, and announcements of launch dates: How will you announce new users about the redesign? It could be via paid social media advertisements or traditional PR campaigns, or even launching on a website such as ProductHunt. Your marketing team should work with you to determine where your target customer is located and how to reach them.
