Website redesign - when do you need it?
A website redesign is usually one of the greatest challenges faced by SEO specialists. Technology is constantly changing and pages that are up to date with the latest trends are likely to systematically increase their conversion rates. There are numerous warning signs informing that a website needs to be redesigned. The most important ones include:- website design - aesthetically unattractive websites not only deter users but also tend to cause numerous technical issues. Outdated subpages are usually unresponsive and slow down the website. Consequently, users believe that such pages aren’t developing in order to stay up to date with technological novelties.
- high bounce rate - it’s a clear indication that the present form of your website needs changes. High bounce rate means that people visiting your website didn’t actually browse it but simply left it just after seeing the landing page. Therefore, you can assume that users don’t really enjoy spending time on your site, its loading time isn’t satisfying or there are some other issues.
- no mobile version - if there are any problems with browsing your website on a smartphone, tablet or any other mobile device, then you should immediately redesign the page. More and more people use the Internet on mobile devices, therefore, responsive web design is a must in today’s world of modern websites.
- website loading speed - if this element doesn’t meet your expectations, you should also consider a website redesign. Websites that work really slowly or load too long get on users’ nerves. Moreover, in the case of online stores, this factor can have a significant impact on the number of finalized transactions.
- rebranding - very frequently companies decide to change their image which necessitates website redesigns. The update may concern a company name, the scope of offered services or key products. This point also refers to the implementation of a new logotype and color scheme representing the brand.
Website redesign and migration
When discussing website redesigns, it’s also necessary to explain how they differ from website migrations. As it’s been previously mentioned, redesigning any website involves changing its image, templates, or functionalities. On the other hand, website migration takes place when the whole page is moved to a different CMS or Internet domain.A website redesign and migration are two completely separate processes. Nevertheless, both of them require a proper approach, especially if you want to keep the website visibility and traffic at the same level.
To learn more about a website migration, its stages, and types, go to our previous entry: https://delante.co/website-migration-prevent-disaster/
Website redesign and its influence on SEO?
Making your website design more modern, improving its functionalities, and adjusting it to current trends should be combined with proper technical SEO activities. First and foremost, a website redesign is supposed to help you increase the visibility and conversion rate of your page. There are many elements that have to be taken into account if you want to avoid decreasing your website traffic. Keep in mind the principles of search engine robots’ operation and remember about proper redirects that will allow you to transfer the power of links. The ability to reconcile users’ expectations with proper website configuration and optimization is the key to success.Website redesign - the essentials
Any attempt to interfere with a website, especially with its structure and URLs, entails a considerable risk of lowering its position in Google rankings. In order to prevent the negative consequences of such actions, it’s worth focusing on SEO at virtually every stage of a website redesign. Below you can find a concise list of a few most important aspects that should be carefully analyzed and implemented.Redesign plan and evaluation of website condition
Before conducting any website redesign activities, it’s worth spending some time to thoroughly analyze its current condition. This will allow you to determine the weakest and strongest elements of the site which will consequently be helpful in devising an appropriate strategy. To facilitate the process, you can take advantage of website audits. Thanks to them, it’s possible to establish which website elements need immediate modifications, what functionalities should be implemented or deleted and which subpages or elements work perfectly and don’t need any changes. While analyzing and assessing the condition of your page, take advantage of tools such as Google Analytics or Search Console. Statistics scrutinizing longer time periods enable determining which subpages are visited the most frequently and appeal to the users’ tastes the most. As far as these subpages are concerned, any updates should be implemented carefully to avoid negative impacts on the website's visibility on Google. Other factors that significantly affect the SEO process and have to be kept in mind when redesigning any website include:- unique page titles,
- meta descriptions,
- image alt attributes,
- proper site map and robots.txt files,
- website optimization for relevant key phrases,
- the use of H1 and lower headers,
- internal linking,
- correct URL structure.