The Ultimate Guide for Marketers

So, you need to begin a web site redesign. Perhaps you simply completed a model overhaul, or your product was just lately up to date. No matter your motive, a redesign could be a enormous success — or not. It will also be a protracted and tedious enterprise, which is why each redesign wants to start out with a transparent imaginative and prescient and/or downside to unravel.

I’ve spearheaded a number of web site redesign initiatives over the course of my advertising profession, and I can inform you firsthand: The higher you might be at defining that imaginative and prescient on the very starting, the extra profitable your redesign might be — and the smoother the complete course of might be as effectively.

Whether or not you’re working with an company, redesigning your website in-house, or proposing a redesign to company stakeholders, this information has suggestions that will help you strategize about your web site redesign and guarantee it seems to be successful (not a flop).

Many organizations determine to revamp their web site with the intention to drive extra site visitors as their enterprise grows. Others invest in a website redesign as part of a larger rebranding initiative.

No matter why your organization is considering a web site redesign plan, it is prone to be a large challenge. It’s additionally an endeavor that’s very important to get proper, contemplating the important function your web site performs in your advertising and model picture.

In truth, in line with a latest report, 50% of consumers believe that their emotions a couple of enterprise are influenced by the design of its web site. To many guests, your web site could also be simply as vital because the merchandise you promote.

How Typically Ought to You Redesign Your Web site?

Design tendencies change quickly, and know-how is consistently advancing. Because of this, in line with tech skilled Connor Brooke, the typical lifespan for a web site is simply 1.5 to 2.5 years.

After all, that timeframe is just an estimate, and you’ll need to find out what works greatest in your distinctive group. However should you wait too lengthy, your present web site design is liable to not really feel “contemporary” and aggressive. 

The next components can decide how usually it is best to redesign your web site:

• How usually your model or objectives change. While you’re itching for a brand new website, first ask your self, “Does this web site nonetheless signify who we’re as an organization?”
• How a lot finances you allot to design and growth. Ask your self, “Can a website redesign wait, or do I’ve causes to make use of the finances on our website now?”
• How lengthy your web site stays practical and quick. Step into your prospects’ sneakers and see should you can navigate the positioning effectively and discover every thing you need to discover with out encountering errors or lengthy web page load occasions. Research from HubSpot signifies that fifty% of internet sites get between 4 and 6 web page views per go to — and all that looking signifies that your website’s navigation and pace actually do matter.
• The efficiency of your web site. Ask your self, “Is that this website changing an affordable quantity of site visitors? Do individuals keep on the web page for an affordable period of time, or do they bounce?”
• Adjustments within the trade. For instance, when Google introduced that it might be altering to mobile-first indexing, web sites needed to turn into mobile-friendly or danger shedding natural site visitors from Google.

Your web site is the place guests and prospects go after they need to ask questions, learn content material, or buy services or products. As such, it’s greatest to be further ready when committing to a web site redesign.

In truth, in my private expertise, I’ve discovered that you could be spend extra time constructing your web site redesign plan than you’ll spend on the redesign itself. Should you’re questioning what ought to go into your web site redesign technique, begin with the next steps.

Should you don’t at present have entry to this info, I’d counsel utilizing instruments like Google Analytics and HubSpot’s Marketing Analytics for higher monitoring and visibility into your web site’s efficiency.

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Professional tip: Bear in mind to notice which instruments you utilize to measure every of those benchmarks. That approach, you need to use those self same instruments once more when amassing your post-redesign metrics and thus keep away from evaluating apples to oranges.

2. Decide your web site redesign objectives.

What’s the “why” behind your web site redesign? In case your reply sounds one thing like, “effectively, it’s been some time since we’ve finished one,” or, “my competitor simply did a redesign,” that’s not ok. In the case of investing in a web site redesign, there ought to all the time be an excellent motive to do it.

Bear in mind: It’s not nearly how your website appears to be like but in addition the way it works. Be crystal clear about why you’re doing a web site redesign, and tie these objectives to measurable outcomes. Then, talk your objectives together with your staff, designer, or company.

Contemplate the next data-driven goals in your personal web site:

• To extend the variety of visits and guests (each are vital, as one customer may go to greater than as soon as).
• To scale back bounce charge.
• To extend time on website.
• To enhance area authority.
• To extend new leads and type submissions.
• To extend whole gross sales generated.
• To reinforce SEO rankings for vital key phrases.

Many of those objectives are depending on each other. For instance, with the intention to generate extra conversions, you might also want to extend site visitors, whereas lowering your website’s bounce charge.

Additionally, check out the metrics you pulled out within the earlier step. Are there any metrics you may enhance upon together with your new web site? Maybe you need to use your outdated web site metrics to encourage new objectives.

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What I like: You should utilize HubSpot’s customized dashboards to trace efficiency on the metrics that matter most to you — after which use that previous efficiency knowledge to tell your forward-looking objectives.

3. Outline your branding and messaging.

Earlier than I craft a brand new web site design, I’ve discovered that it’s important to be crystal clear about my desired branding, messaging, and distinctive worth proposition.

Take it from me: Anybody who visits your web site for the primary time ought to instantly perceive what you do, the way it might profit them, and why they need to keep in your website — so that they don’t flee to rivals.

For instance, check out HubSpot’s homepage under. It’s instantly clear what the corporate does, what it presents its prospects, and the way any customer can get began:

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Take into consideration whether or not you intend to vary your branding and/or messaging within the close to future or should you anticipate it would keep the identical for some time. Should you do plan to vary it, what’s going to you could change? Hold these modifications top-of-mind as you redesign your web site.

Download this free workbook for guidance and templates to simplify your next website redesign project.

As you develop your messaging, use clear, concise language. Keep away from trade jargon that will alienate your viewers and make you sound extra like a business-babbling robotic than a human.

For instance, right here’s a “gobbledygook” approach that somebody may describe HubSpot:

HubSpot helps firms throughout a number of world markets scale back churn by backfilling the gross sales pipeline with extremely certified site visitors that generates leads that convert into prospects with excessive lifetime worth. We obtain this by offering cutting-edge software program that integrates all advertising channels for a synergistic view of the information that determines and prioritizes high-value advertising actions.

Say what? Let’s translate that into one thing a human would truly say:

HubSpot’s all-in-one advertising software program helps over 100,000 companies in additional than 120 nations appeal to leads and convert them into prospects. A pioneer in inbound advertising, HubSpot goals to assist its prospects make advertising that folks love.

A lot clearer!

Moreover, as you develop your company branding, think about which visible features of your web site should be redesigned and what can keep the identical. Have you ever created a brand new emblem, style guide, or coloration palette? Be sure that these are utilized to your new web site, so it stays according to different elements of your model.

Professional tip: For some extra inspiration, take a look at this roundup of B2B web site examples:

4. Outline your purchaser persona(s).

Your web site isn’t just about you. In truth, it’s hardly about you in any respect.

When your guests land in your web site, they’re asking themselves, “What’s in it for me? How may this firm assist me?”

So don’t make your web site all about you. As a substitute, communicate to your guests of their language by crafting your web site design and content material round your purchaser personas.

For example, should you’re a advertising supervisor at a resort trying to herald new enterprise, you may goal 5 totally different purchaser personas: an impartial enterprise traveler, a company journey supervisor, an event planner, a vacationing household, and a pair planning their marriage ceremony reception.

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Ensure you clearly establish your purchaser personas, so you may form your web site redesign technique across the sorts of web site guests that matter most to you.

What I like: Take a look at HubSpot’s handy buyer persona builder that will help you create detailed purchaser personas.

Lastly, ask your self: Is your audience altering as a part of your web site redesign? And if that’s the case, do your branding and content material align with this new audience? Answering these questions might be very important as you’re strategizing about your web site redesign.

5. Defend your search-engine-optimized pages.

Getting found on-line is crucial to enhancing your web site’s metrics. In spite of everything, if nobody is ready to discover and go to your website, how will you improve new leads, conversions, or gross sales? Listed here are three of my prime suggestions for designing your new web site with search engine optimization (SEO) in thoughts:

Doc your most search-valued pages.

First, use marketing analytics to determine which of your web site’s pages at present obtain essentially the most site visitors and inbound hyperlinks, convert essentially the most leads, and canopy essentially the most influential subjects in your trade.

Write down a listing of those extremely worthwhile pages, and should you plan to maneuver any of them, be sure to create the correct 301 redirects.

Create a 301 redirect technique.

Subsequent, talking of 301 redirects, these are extraordinarily vital by way of retaining the site visitors and hyperlink worth related to a given web page.

Create a spreadsheet to report and map out your 301 redirects (outdated URLs vs. new URLs). Then, hand this doc over to a technical skilled to verify all the mandatory redirects are correctly applied.

Do your key phrase analysis.

Lastly, when crafting your newly designed web site, choose one keyword or topic for every web page to give attention to. When you establish these key phrases, use on-page SEO best practices to optimize your web site pages.

It’s also possible to think about including new content material and pages to your web site that handle key phrases or subjects that could be uncared for in your present website.

Save time and rank higher on Google with our free on-page SEO template.

Professional tip: HubSpot’s SEO Marketing Software may give you insights into your web site’s present website positioning efficiency, serving to you optimize your web site redesign plan.

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6. Analyze the competitors.

Whereas I don’t advocate obsessing over your rivals, figuring out the way you examine will be useful. To that finish, I’d counsel operating your web site by way of HubSpot’s free Website Grader device to generate a report card on how effectively your web site is performing.

You may then use this diagnostic device to guage your rivals’ web sites, so that you’re conscious of their strengths and weaknesses in addition to your individual.

Professional tip: HubSpot’s Website Grader device is an effective way to realize perception into the efficiency of your present web site.

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Subsequent, check out your rivals’ web sites, and be aware of what you want — and what you don’t.

When you conduct these aggressive analyses, you need to use the insights you’ve uncovered to place collectively a listing of motion objects highlighting some areas for enchancment and methods you need to use your web site to set your self aside out of your rivals.

7. Take stock of your high-performing content material.

Whereas a redesign is an effective way to enhance the efficiency of your web site, it’s not with out danger: In truth, should you’re not cautious, it may possibly find yourself harming your web site’s efficiency.

It is because your present web site seemingly accommodates many high-performing content material belongings that you just’ve already constructed up, and in case your redesign causes them to turn into much less efficient, it may possibly severely injury your advertising outcomes.

Professional tip: HubSpot’s SEO Marketing Software may also help you establish your present top-performing pages, so that you don’t find yourself harming your efficiency by way of your web site redesign.

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For example, these high-performing belongings may embrace your:

• Most-shared or most-viewed content material.
• Excessive-traffic pages.
• Greatest performing or rating key phrases and related pages.
• Variety of inbound hyperlinks to particular person pages.

For instance, if you find yourself eradicating a web page out of your website that has gathered a excessive variety of inbound hyperlinks, you possibly can doubtlessly lose a variety of website positioning credit score, which might make it tougher in your website to be discovered on search engine outcomes pages (SERPs).

Personally, I’ve discovered that many internet designers don’t take into consideration this step as a result of they’re neither entrepreneurs nor website positioning specialists. As such, don’t hesitate to remind these stakeholders about website positioning issues and assist them alongside by auditing your website and offering them with a listing of important pages to remember to keep or replace.

8. Select the proper software program.

The ultimate — and arguably, most vital — step of the website redesign process is selecting the best software program with which to create and host your web site. This software program is often known as a content material administration system (CMS), and it’s used to develop, design, and publish your web site for the world to see.

Whether or not you’re a novice digital marketer or a professional internet developer, a CMS may also help you construct a beautiful, practical web site with ease. After all, figuring out which CMS is true in your wants will rely in your distinctive enterprise, the options your web site redesign would require, and your stage of familiarity with totally different CMS instruments.

There are tons of of CMSs to select from, together with HubSpot’s CMS Hub (the one mixed CMS and CRM, or buyer relationship administration). It’s also possible to evaluate among the best CMS platforms to study extra concerning the vary of accessible choices.

What I like: HubSpot’s CMS Hub offers you the instruments you could get your web site redesign off the bottom.

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Testing It Out: Designing a Digital Portfolio 

So, now that we all know the phases of an online redesign, let’s put every thing into motion. Whereas I don’t have entry to a web-based ecommerce website or digital enterprise, I used to be in a position to cellphone a good friend for a challenge. 

For this redesign, I’ll be serving to HubSpot’s Katilin Milliken, a senior program supervisor, redesign her private web site. That is Kaitlin’s on-line portfolio, showcasing her work all through her profession. Nonetheless, it hasn’t been up to date since she joined the corporate. Right here’s how I approached this challenge.

Discovery: The Objectives of the Web site 

Earlier than truly making modifications to the positioning, I must know what Kaitlin’s objectives are. To seek out out, I despatched her the next questions:

• What are the objectives of your web site design?
• What’s the imaginative and prescient for or goal of your website?
• Who’s your viewers?
• Are there any particular modifications you wish to see?

Let’s take a look at her solutions. 

What are the objectives of your web site design?

“I initially created this website once I was a enterprise journalist to seize the totally different articles and multimedia tales I labored on. I’ve since converted into program administration and dealing in tech. I need my website to inform the story of that profession shift and to elucidate how the abilities from my previous profession have transferred to my new one,” Kaitlin says.  

What’s the imaginative and prescient for or goal of your website? 

“This website ought to showcase my skilled accomplishments and the previous positions I’ve held. Consider it like a digital resume with extra examples. I additionally need to spotlight metrics that display the influence of my initiatives,” Kaitlin says.  

Who’s your viewers? 

“The viewers must be individuals who need to work with me sooner or later. I run a contract program at HubSpot. Individuals who need to be a part of ought to have the ability to learn the way from my website,” Kaitlin says. 

Are there any particular modifications you wish to see? 

“The present website’s coloration scheme may be very colourful and enjoyable. Whereas I cherished this on the time, I need my website to characteristic a extra modern design. I additionally need to replace the photographs. These footage are from over six years in the past,” she says. 

She continues, “I additionally need to take away the portion about my private artwork initiatives and zine. I’ve migrated that to a distinct website.”

With these objectives and directions in thoughts, I can begin the redesign course of. That every one begins with refreshing the textual content on the positioning. 

Rebranding and Rewriting

Whereas a lot of Kaitlin’s asks relate to the design of the positioning, I feel refreshing the textual content presents a greater place to start out. This entails reshaping the messaging of her website so it displays her present objectives — telling her profession story to individuals who might need to work along with her sooner or later.

Let’s begin on the house web page.

Now, let’s flip to her about web page. The textual content has been refreshed considerably just lately, mentioning her present function at HubSpot. Nonetheless, her about web page focuses an excessive amount of on her earlier expertise. I need to change the textual content to emphasise what she does at this time.

Past that, I’ll condense her previous expertise to inform the story of her profession transition. Then, I’ll present up to date contact info for individuals who need to work with HubSpot’s Freelance Community.

Making Design Adjustments

Now that our textual content aligns with the redesign objectives, let’s dig into aesthetics. I’ve been explicitly requested to vary the colour scheme and theme of the positioning. I requested Kaitlin about selecting from prebuilt Wix themes suitable along with her web site. Along with her sign-off, I began my search. 

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I settled on a theme with a restricted coloration scheme. Major colours are used to spotlight particular areas of the positioning, and all pictures are in black and white. 

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Past that, I’ve constructed a restricted menu. This enables us to delete the Zine tab of her website. I may also merge the audio and tales part into one web page known as “Initiatives.” This aligns higher along with her program supervisor function at this time and focuses extra on initiatives constructed than particular person tales accomplished. 

From there, I can copy over the textual content modifications I made beforehand and swap out her older footage for brand spanking new ones, as requested. 

Outcomes

I discovered working by way of this redesign to be enjoyable and genuinely useful. Creating a less complicated website allowed the aim of the positioning to shine. I used to be in a position to seize the evolution of Kaitlin’s profession and discover an aesthetic that fits her preferences.

“I like this a lot greater than what I created initially,” Kaitlin says. “Although I’m positive that in a number of years, I’ll need to make extra modifications and redesign it once more!” 

Get Began on Your Web site Redesign As we speak

Whew! Now you are able to plan, design, construct, optimize, launch, and analyze your new web site. Apply these seven steps to revamp a web site that draws extra shoppers, wows extra guests, and converts extra prospects.

Editor’s observe: This publish was initially revealed in January 2013 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.