How To Tell If Your Site Needs A Redesign

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A common question that often arises when meeting new clients for the first time is “how can I tell if my website should be redesigned?”  The shelf life a website can vary.  Some websites hold up quite well aesthetically over time while others date themselves pretty quick with trendy interfaces.  In the end though, the content of your website and what it does for you should be the determining factor in how you approach the future of your website and there are some tell-tale signs that could be hinting at the notion that it could be time for a refresh:

Site metrics are suffering

The web is always evolving.  New techniques for marketing and encouraging calls to action are constantly being developed and popularized.  If site traffic and page views are down, conversions are non-existent, and your contact form has gone drier than Steve Carell in the Kalahari, it’s a pretty clear indication that you’ve reached a disconnect with your audience.  It may be time to take a look at what can be done to get those rivers flowing once again.

Feedback tells you it’s time

Numbers are great for painting a metric picture, but there’s no better feedback than that from your actual customers.  Not everyone may be inclined to fill out a giant survey on the ins and outs of your website, but encouraging your users to provide feedback, be it through the site or even through social media, you’ll quickly begin to realize what is working and what’s not.

The fix-it list is longer than a Ritchie Blackmore solo

Remember that old jalopy you had back in college?  That beauty was forged from pure molten steel and the chiseled hands of the heart of middle-class America with enough clicks on her to get you to Mars and back.  She got you around and served you well, but after awhile it just made more sense to replace the old girl rather than keep changing the quarter panels and fuzzy dice every 6 months.  Your website could be in the same boat.  If the laundry list of tasks to get it up to snuff is worth more than the resources that you’re willing to put toward it, sometimes starting over is more cost effective than trying to keep up with the growing list of priorities.

No matter what direction you take with the future of your website, your focus should depend on the goals you’ve set for it and whether or not those goals are being met or have the potential to be met.  If the answer to either of those questions is no, then it should be pretty obvious that the current version of your website is not doing what you want it to do and it may be time to start planning for a new direction.  If you’re in need of help in identifying your metrics, deciphering feedback or even knocking off a few items from the honey-do list, contact Point Click Media.