4 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Website Redesign
What to avoid when creating a website
Redesigning your website is one of the most rewarding parts of the rebranding process — because it gives you the same pep in your step as when you rearrange your bedroom, it’s a change to bring into fruition a new season. While giving your website an overhaul can make a significant difference when it comes to aligning your online presence with your authenticity it can also be a frustrating and tricky process.
The redesign process can also be stressful — what if you don’t like the changes? What if something technical breaks? One way to avoid some of the stress is to equip yourself with knowledge.
These are some of the most common mistakes to avoid in your redesign process. Once you’re aware of these, you’ll be able to create a new website that will elevate your branding and help others build a relationship with you.
Mistake #1: You didn’t learn from your previous design
The great thing about a redesign is that you’re not starting from scratch. Everything you learned from your previous website can be used to guide your redesign. Before embarking on a redesign, it's important to assess what has and hasn't worked from your previous website design. You can apply your insights to this new website to create something even better.
There are a few ways to do this: poll your target audience or ask a trusted friend what they resonate with (and what they don’t!). You could also look at your website's analytics dashboard to see which pages receive the most traffic and clicks. Where do people spend the majority of their time? What pages are the least popular?
These insights will provide you with a roadmap that will guide you to keep the best aspects of your previous design while iterating on the aspects that require improvement.
Mistake #2: You didn’t have clear branding from the start
No matter how fantastic your redesign is, it will be ineffective unless you have clear branding. This is because great website design flows from great brand strategy. You should decide on your color palette, fonts, mood, tone, and personality before you begin designing your website.
Your website will feel more coherent and less disjointed when you develop clear, distinct branding that can be maintained across all platforms, from your print collateral to your social media profiles.
Mistake #3: You chased design trends instead of your authentic brand.
Seeing a beautifully designed website that you want to emulate should not be the sole justification for your redesign. There’s no harm in finding inspiration from other websites, but using them to guide your redesign is more akin to chasing trends.
How do you know if you’re redesigning your website for the right reasons? If your website no longer an authentic and comprehensive representation of your business, then it could be time for a redesign.
The key is to make sure you’re staying true to your brand instead of just doing what’s trendy right now. Website trends change constantly, but your brand should be transcendent.
Mistake #4: You didn’t set up 301 redirects to existing content.
Nothing is worse than finishing a website overhaul only to find that half your links are broken. To prevent this, it's crucial to set up 301 redirects so that your customers can be routed to the new, updated versions of your old content.
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another, meaning that any time a user enters the old URL, they will be automatically sent to the new URL. Most website builders make it easy to set up 301 redirects.
Broken links are not only frustrating for your customers, but they can also damage your credibility. Moreover, broken links can damage your ranking in search results. If your old content is not redirected to your new content, you’ll miss out on all your old traffic. The best way to maintain traffic and ranking is to use 301 redirects!
Redesigning your website shouldn’t be stressful.
It’s a momentous opportunity to examine whether or not your branding materials are a true reflection of all the incredible work you do. If your website isn’t saying what you want it to be saying about your business, a redesign is an opportunity to re-align.
Need some help with your website?
When you work with a well-qualified website designer who can streamline all the details for you, the process can even be fun! We genuinely love working with clients to redesign their websites and shape effective, thoughtful design strategies — and if you’re dreaming of creating an exceptional website, let’s chat, so we can bring your dreams to life.