Signs Your Website Needs a Redesign

Is it time to update your website? Odds are if you think your website could look a lot better, you’re probably right, so make 2013 the year to redesign your web site. The importance of keeping your website up to date is often ignored. Technology and design trends are constantly changing. Not only is redesigning websites today about changing the look and design, but with technology constantly evolving website redesigns are mandatory for success. As Chicago web designers, we have met many people who have ignored site maintenance for years and years and their websites show it. Your website is the most powerful online marketing tool you have at your disposal, so neglecting it won’t do you any good.  Keeping up with regular maintenance and making updates is essential to make sure that your website is always serving your business to the best of its ability. The functionality, presentation, and load time are all important components that impact whether your web design is successful or not. Are all the signs there that you need to redesign your website?  Ask yourself the following questions:

Is it a hassle to update?

It is very important to constantly update your website. As Chicago web designers, we work with many different clients that come to us with a multitude of web design needs.  Some clients already have a website, but doing the updates for it are just a hassle for them.  Some clients are in need of a new website design and don’t want to do the updating or maintenance that is necessary.  Some clients are more than willing to do the updates.  Everyone is different. If your website is a hassle to update, perhaps it’s outdated or the format it is built in is too difficult for you to modify or work in, then you may want to consider a website redesign.   Depending on what you are hoping to do with your website, you may want to be able to do all of the updates and be able to make changes to content or pictures whenever you want. Some people are looking to be more involved with their websites rather than others and really, we all have different computer skills, which is why this varies from person to person. If you cannot make the necessary changes you want to your website, you may want to contact a web design firm to help make it easier for you. It could be as simple as building your website on a CMS (content management system). Content management systems can make doing edits to your website a breeze. We often times build our websites for clients on Wordpress, which is a very user-friendly CMS. To read more on Wordpress and other content management systems visit our previous blog, Choosing a CMS.

Does your website take a long time to load?

If the load time on your website is too long, viewers will stay far, far away. As it has been noticed by our very own web designers, the time it takes to load your website can greatly affect the amount of viewers who return to your site. We believe that if your website takes longer than 5 seconds to load, you need to consider a redesign of your website and internal optimization of your website. If your site takes longer than 5 seconds to load, there is a big chance you will lose your site visitors quickly. This can be tricky because there are many different Internet providers and cell phone providers that provide different quality of service. If you’re experiencing load time that is lengthy, contact Integraphix for a free website analysis and consider a website redesign.

When was the last time you redesigned your website?

If you can’t remember the last time you had your website redesigned, then this might be a good sign that it is time. As an integrated marketing company in Chicago we have worked with clients in multiple industries including, PR agencies, dental practices, hotels, restaurants and more. No matter what your competitors are doing and no matter what others in your industry are doing, you must maintain and keep up with your website regardless.  Although these businesses and the industries that they belong to are very different, we keep one general rule when it comes to all websites: you should completely redesign the look of your website about every three years. With the change in technology and web design trends changing daily, revamping your website every three years is a necessity for the success of your business. Since it’s a new year, take the time to go through your website. If your website is outdated, contact Integraphix for design support.

Can the search engines find you?

As a marketing company in Chicago we provide a variety of different services including web design and search engine optimization. Your website design and your SEO should go hand in hand. If your website is not being crawled by Google or any other search engine, your website is not doing your business any justice. There are many different factors that make up SEO and what makes websites searchable. Keeping up with the SEO of your company is a full time job, and we certainly recognize that, but if it’s not done at all or done correctly your website will stand no chance being ranked by search engines. Since most people find websites through Google, Bing and Yahoo, search engine optimization for your website is essential. If you are looking for SEO services, contact Integraphix for more information and tips on getting your website on the first page of Google.

Up top is our own website's redesign sneak peak. Not only have we built it on a new, easier CMS, it will provide us with better SEO capabilities and has a slick new, appealing design.

Have comments or question on website redesigning?  Feel free to comment below or contact us.