The New Year often motivates us to take on those all-important Marketing challenges we’ve been avoiding. And that was certainly true for many of our clients with January 2020 our second busiest month EVER!
A re-occurring theme we just couldn’t ignore was website re-vamps. Whether it’s launching a whole new website, a simple face-lift or an existing website audit – it seems the start of the year is the time to tackle all things web!
We were only too happy to help our clients with these requests, but if you’re going it alone, still mulling it over or outsourcing to another designer, what should you look for when considering big website changes?
Read our 7-Step Checklist to Success…
1. Firstly - why is now the time for a new look?
If you’re starting with a blank canvas and you don’t have a website at all – then yes, take it as a given that it’s a good idea to get one!
But if you have one already, what’s changed in your business to require a new site?
Is it not performing well?
Have you had a re-brand?
Are you offering a new service?
Is it just a little out-of-date?
All these reasons can definitely warrant a change, but you may not need a whole new site! Be clear on your objectives, and you’ll be sure to get a website that helps meet them.
2. Does it work on more than one platform?
So you’ve decided to go for the new site – good on you! Now let’s make sure it works properly. One thing that’s all-too-often overlooked is testing the site across different browsers and platforms. In the world we live in it’s non-negotiable – the website HAS to auto-respond to mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Not to mention the many internet browsers available.
Test, test, get someone else to test, test again and test once more for luck.
3. Is it easy to get in touch?
Add your contact details to your website footer for sure, then they’re always there. But don’t stop there. Your call to actions should be ALL OVER your website. ‘Get in Touch’ buttons here, Contact Forms there. If a section of your website could spark enough interest for someone to get in touch, add a call to action.
4. How do you know it’s yours?
Our favourite test method. Undoubtedly, you’ve got your business logo at the top of your website – right? Now take it off… who does the website belong to? If it’s not blatantly obvious to a third party-eye that its yours… then it’s not working. Your website recognition should never be reliant on your logo – add colour, content and branding throughout the site to make it unmistakably ‘you’.
5. Is there space for regular, new content?
Without regularly updated content, your site just won’t perform well. Google loves fresh content, so make sure there’s a blog, social media feeds or videos section on your site that you can add to on a regular basis.
6. It’s not all about what’s on show
Everyone loves a brand-new shiny website, but without the SEO support behind it no-ones going to see it! Make sure you choose a designer who can support your SEO set-up as well as the pretty forward-facing design. And even better – see if they can share some simple tips and tricks for you to keep it optimized!
7. Bigger is NOT better
When it comes to websites, you really need to keep those file sizes down. Uploading tonnes of high-res imagery to your homepage might look nice – but in reality, it’s going to drastically slow down the site and negatively effect your SEO. And with poor SEO comes poor site traffic.
Of course, make sure your photos and videos are of a high quality - just make sure you’re using the ‘for web’ friendly versions.
Advennture Design can help with website audits, competitor analysis and complete website re-vamps. To get in touch just email hello@advennturedesign.com