The Final Information for Entrepreneurs

So, you wish to begin a web site redesign. Possibly you simply completed a model overhaul, or your product was just lately up to date. No matter your cause, a redesign could be a big success — or not. It will also be an extended and tedious enterprise, which is why each redesign wants to begin with a transparent imaginative and prescient and/or drawback to resolve.

I’ve spearheaded a number of web site redesign initiatives over the course of my advertising and marketing profession, and I can let you know 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 whole course of might be as effectively.

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

Many organizations resolve to revamp their web site with a view to drive extra visitors as their enterprise grows. Others put money into a web site redesign as half of a bigger rebranding initiative.

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

In truth, in line with a latest report, 50% of shoppers imagine 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 necessary because the merchandise you promote.

How Usually Ought to You Redesign Your Web site?

Design traits change quickly, and expertise is consistently advancing. Because of this, in line with tech professional Connor Brooke, the common lifespan for a web site is simply 1.5 to 2.5 years.

After all, that timeframe is simply an estimate, and you have to to find out what works finest in your distinctive group. However in case you wait too lengthy, your present web site design is liable to now not really feel “contemporary” and aggressive. 

The next components can decide how typically it’s best to redesign your web site:

• How typically your model or targets change. If you’re itching for a brand new web site, first ask your self, “Does this web site nonetheless signify who we’re as an organization?”
• How a lot price range you allot to design and growth. Ask your self, “Can a web site redesign wait, or do I’ve causes to make use of the price range on our web site now?”
• How lengthy your web site stays purposeful and quick. Step into your prospects’ footwear and see in case you can navigate the location effectively and discover every part you wish to discover with out encountering errors or lengthy web page load instances. Analysis from HubSpot signifies that fifty% of internet sites get between 4 and 6 web page views per go to — and all that searching signifies that your web site’s navigation and pace actually do matter.
• The efficiency of your web site. Ask your self, “Is that this web site changing an inexpensive quantity of visitors? Do individuals keep on the web page for an inexpensive period of time, or do they bounce?”
• Modifications within the business. For instance, when Google introduced that it could be altering to mobile-first indexing, web sites needed to develop into mobile-friendly or threat shedding natural visitors from Google.

Your web site is the place guests and prospects go once they wish to ask questions, learn content material, or buy services or products. As such, it’s finest 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. For those who’re questioning what ought to go into your web site redesign technique, begin with the next steps.

For those who don’t presently have entry to this info, I’d recommend utilizing instruments like Google Analytics and HubSpot’s Advertising 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 should use those self same instruments once more when accumulating your post-redesign metrics and thus keep away from evaluating apples to oranges.

2. Decide your web site redesign targets.

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. Relating to investing in a web site redesign, there ought to at all times be a great cause to do it.

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

Think about the next data-driven targets in your personal web site:

• To extend the variety of visits and guests (each are necessary, as one customer might go to greater than as soon as).
• To scale back bounce price.
• To extend time on web site.
• To enhance area authority.
• To extend new leads and kind submissions.
• To extend whole gross sales generated.
• To reinforce search engine marketing rankings for necessary key phrases.

Many of those targets are depending on each other. For instance, with a view to generate extra conversions, you may additionally want to extend visitors, whereas lowering your web site’s bounce price.

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

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What I like: You need to use 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 targets.

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 could profit them, and why they need to keep in your web site — 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 propose to vary your branding and/or messaging within the close to future or in case you count on it is going to keep the identical for some time. For those who do plan to vary it, what’s going to you’ll want to change? Maintain these adjustments top-of-mind as you redesign your web site.

Obtain this free workbook for steerage and templates to simplify your subsequent web site redesign venture.

As you develop your messaging, use clear, concise language. Keep away from business 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 might describe HubSpot:

HubSpot helps corporations throughout a number of world markets cut back churn by backfilling the gross sales pipeline with extremely certified 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 and marketing channels for a synergistic view of the information that determines and prioritizes high-value advertising and marketing actions.

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

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

A lot clearer!

Moreover, as you develop your firm branding, contemplate which visible elements of your web site must be redesigned and what can keep the identical. Have you ever created a brand new emblem, model information, or colour palette? Ensure that these are utilized to your new web site, so it stays in line with different elements of your model.

Professional tip: For some extra inspiration, try this roundup of B2B web site examples:

4. Outline your purchaser persona(s).

Your web site is not only 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 might this firm assist me?”

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

For example, in case you’re a advertising and marketing supervisor at a lodge trying to herald new enterprise, you would possibly goal 5 totally different purchaser personas: an impartial enterprise traveler, a company journey supervisor, an occasion planner, a vacationing household, and a pair planning their marriage ceremony reception.

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Be sure to clearly determine your purchaser personas, so you possibly can form your web site redesign technique across the sorts of web site guests that matter most to you.

What I like: Try HubSpot’s helpful purchaser 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 viewers? Answering these questions might be important as you’re strategizing about your web site redesign.

5. Shield your search-engine-optimized pages.

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

Doc your most search-valued pages.

First, use advertising and marketing analytics to determine which of your web site’s pages presently obtain probably the most visitors and inbound hyperlinks, convert probably the most leads, and canopy probably the most influential subjects in your business.

Write down an inventory of those extremely useful pages, and in case you plan to maneuver any of them, ensure you create the correct 301 redirects.

Create a 301 redirect technique.

Subsequent, talking of 301 redirects, these are extraordinarily necessary when it comes to retaining the visitors and hyperlink worth related to a given web page.

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

Do your key phrase analysis.

Lastly, when crafting your newly designed web site, decide one key phrase or matter for every web page to concentrate on. When you determine these key phrases, use on-page search engine marketing finest practices to optimize your web site pages.

You too can contemplate including new content material and pages to your web site that handle key phrases or subjects which may be uncared for in your present web site.

Save time and rank increased on Google with our free on-page search engine marketing template.

Professional tip: HubSpot’s search engine marketing Advertising Software program can provide you insights into your web site’s present search engine marketing 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, understanding the way you examine may be useful. To that finish, I’d recommend working your web site by means of HubSpot’s free Web site Grader instrument to generate a report card on how effectively your web site is performing.

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

Professional tip: HubSpot’s Web site Grader instrument is a good way to achieve perception into the efficiency of your present web site.

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Subsequent, check out your rivals’ web sites, and pay attention to what you want — and what you don’t.

When you conduct these aggressive analyses, you should use the insights you’ve uncovered to place collectively an inventory of motion gadgets highlighting some areas for enchancment and methods you should 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 a good way to enhance the efficiency of your web site, it’s not with out threat: In truth, in case you’re not cautious, it could possibly find yourself harming your web site’s efficiency.

It is because your current web site probably incorporates many high-performing content material property that you just’ve already constructed up, and in case your redesign causes them to develop into much less efficient, it could possibly severely injury your advertising and marketing outcomes.

Professional tip: HubSpot’s search engine marketing Advertising Software program can assist you determine your current top-performing pages, so that you don’t find yourself harming your efficiency by means of your web site redesign.

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For example, these high-performing property would possibly 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 web site that has collected a excessive variety of inbound hyperlinks, you would doubtlessly lose lots of search engine marketing credit score, which might make it more durable in your web site 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 search engine marketing specialists. As such, don’t hesitate to remind these stakeholders about search engine marketing concerns and assist them alongside by auditing your web site and offering them with an inventory of important pages to make sure to preserve or replace.

8. Select the best software program.

The ultimate — and arguably, most necessary — step of the web site redesign course of is selecting the best software program with which to create and host your web site. This software program is usually 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 can assist you construct a beautiful, purposeful 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 lots of of CMSs to select from, together with HubSpot’s CMS Hub (the one mixed CMS and CRM, or buyer relationship administration). You too can evaluation among the finest CMS platforms to study extra concerning the vary of accessible choices.

What I like: HubSpot’s CMS Hub offers you the instruments you’ll want to 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 internet redesign, let’s put every part into motion. Whereas I don’t have entry to a web-based ecommerce web site or digital enterprise, I used to be capable of cellphone a buddy for a venture. 

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. Nevertheless, it hasn’t been up to date since she joined the corporate. Right here’s how I approached this venture.

Discovery: The Objectives of the Website 

Earlier than truly making adjustments to the location, I have to know what Kaitlin’s targets are. To seek out out, I despatched her the next questions:

• What are the targets of your web site design?
• What’s the imaginative and prescient for or function of your web site?
• Who’s your viewers?
• Are there any particular adjustments you want to see?

Let’s try her solutions. 

What are the targets of your web site design?

“I initially created this web site after 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 web site to inform the story of that profession shift and to clarify how the talents from my previous profession have transferred to my new one,” Kaitlin says.  

What’s the imaginative and prescient for or function of your web site? 

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

Who’s your viewers? 

“The viewers needs to be individuals who wish to work with me sooner or later. I run a contract program at HubSpot. Individuals who wish to be a part of ought to be capable to learn the way from my web site,” Kaitlin says. 

Are there any particular adjustments you want to see? 

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

She continues, “I additionally wish to take away the portion about my private artwork initiatives and zine. I’ve migrated that to a unique web site.”

With these targets and directions in thoughts, I can begin the redesign course of. That each one begins with refreshing the textual content on the location. 

Rebranding and Rewriting

Whereas a lot of Kaitlin’s asks relate to the design of the location, I believe refreshing the textual content presents a greater place to begin. This includes reshaping the messaging of her web site so it displays her present targets — telling her profession story to individuals who could wish to work together 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. Nevertheless, her about web page focuses an excessive amount of on her earlier expertise. I wish to change the textual content to emphasise what she does as we speak.

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 wish to work with HubSpot’s Freelance Community.

Making Design Modifications

Now that our textual content aligns with the redesign targets, let’s dig into aesthetics. I’ve been explicitly requested to vary the colour scheme and theme of the location. I requested Kaitlin about selecting from prebuilt Wix themes suitable together 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 colour scheme. Major colours are used to spotlight particular areas of the location, and all pictures are in black and white. 

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Past that, I’ve constructed a restricted menu. This permits us to delete the Zine tab of her web site. I may merge the audio and tales part into one web page known as “Tasks.” This aligns higher together with her program supervisor function as we speak and focuses extra on initiatives constructed than particular person tales accomplished. 

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

Outcomes

I discovered working by means of this redesign to be enjoyable and genuinely useful. Creating an easier web site allowed the aim of the location to shine. I used to be capable of 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 certain that in a number of years, I’ll wish to make extra adjustments and redesign it once more!” 

Get Began on Your Web site Redesign Immediately

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 pulls extra shoppers, wows extra guests, and converts extra prospects.

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