Monday, August 18, 2014

The Importance of Website Redesign for your Business

Effective marketing is a huge factor in running a successful business and the most important marketing you can do is on the Internet.  Every Internet marketing campaign starts with the company’s website which acts as their main representative to their target audience or customer base.  It is important for your company’s website to always be functional, easy to navigate, and responsive across multiple devices so that users can get the most out of their experience with the website.  If your website is not performing to meet your goals, then it may be time for a website redesign.

Good Web Design Helps Sell your Product

Whether your business provides products or a service, it is important for your website to have seamless design and navigation so that users can easily find the products or information pages that you ultimately want them to find.  A solid web design can go a long way towards attracting more business but it may be difficult to know exactly how to redesign your current website to make it more effective.  The following are some tips to consider when redesigning your website:
• Figure out what is working: Figure out what your website is doing well, whether it is providing original information or attracting good organic traffic, and keep up these practices.  You should also determine what is not working such as visitors leaving the site before reaching the call to action page and work on addressing these issues with the redesign.
• Provide most relevant information: Internet users are generally looking for specific information and if you can provide your customers with the information they need, your website will be much more effective.  Use keyword research to discover what related keywords your target audience is actually searching for and make sure important information is easy to find.
• Competitor research: Exploring the websites of your main competitors can help give you some ideas to make your website more effective.
• Search Friendly: Work with your web developers or an SEO team to ensure that your website is searchable in the major search engines.
• Implement a marketing plan: Once the website redesign is complete, create and implement a marketing plan to help keep visitors coming to your website.

When Should I Redesign my Website?

The digital world is constantly changing which means a website that was effective last year may not be as effective this year.  The devices that people use to access the internet are always evolving and it is important to make sure your website is compatible with all the main devices and delivers the usability your customers expect.  It may be difficult to decide when your website needs a new design and these tips will help you determine if a redesign is necessary:
• New Business Model: If your company has adopted a new business model or has changed the business in any way, the website should be updated to reflect this change.  It is important for your website to always be in sync with your company’s real life goals.
• Outranked by Competitors: If your main competitors are driving more traffic to their websites then you, then you may need to redesign your website to be more SEO friendly.  Chances are your competitors are implementing better SEO practices if their website is outranking yours so redesigning your website with better optimization can help improve your rank.
• Not Enough Leads: If your website is not bringing enough leads, then you may want to consider a more friendly design and better SEO practices to help attract more traffic.
• Needs Updated Look and Content: Part of a successful online marketing campaign is keeping your website updated with new content and fresh designs.  If the content on your website rarely changes or the design looks outdated, it is time for a redesign.
• Non-Responsive: More people are accessing the internet through tablets and mobile devices which makes it important for websites to be able to display properly across multiple devices.  If your website does not display properly on mobile phones and tablets, you should consider a more responsive design for your website.

The Importance of Responsive Web Design

About one fourth of all web searches in the world are done on a mobile device which makes it crucial for websites to be responsive across all devices.  Responsive web design is a web design approach in which a site is built for easy usability and navigation across all devices including computers, phones, and tablets with minimal resizing, panning, and scrolling.  By redesigning your website with a more responsive design, you can ensure that your website is being properly displayed to users on all devices.
In addition to reaching the large number of users who access the Internet through mobile devices, there are plenty of other benefits to having a responsive website.  One benefit is that mobile users are more likely to buy than desktop users and they are looking for quick information.  Creating an easy path to a Call to Action page for mobile users will lead to more conversions.  Another advantage of a good mobile web design is that it can result in better brand engagement.  A responsive mobile website will make it easier for users to find the Call to Action page right on the device and they will be much more likely to revisit the website on a desktop later. A good responsive web design will also reduce your bounce rates and keep visitors on your website longer.
If your website is not meeting your marketing goals or bringing in the traffic you envisioned, it might be time for a website redesign.  Your website is your company’s most important marketing tool because it acts as your representative to potential customers and by redesigning your website to be more responsive across multiple devices, you can reach a much wider range of users.
You can view examples of two websites recently redesigned by Proceed Innovative to be more responsive by visiting ServiceMaster Professional Services at http://www.svmps.com/ and ServiceMaster NCR at http://www.servicemaster-ncr.com/.