Refreshing Your Website Design

Have you reviewed your web site lately? If your site is at least a year old you may want to consider updating the design of your site. There are several reasons to consider an update:

New Look and Feel

Your website may be the first encounter potential customers have with your business. Does it accurately portray your corporate culture? Your design can be whimsical, sophisticated, high tech, elegant, or modern. On the flip side, it can be sloppy, thoughtless, or unorganized. Or perhaps your company has recently restructured or updated their image. Don’t forget to include your website’s design. A good first impression is important, but an accurate impression is just as critical.

Restructure the Navigation

Over time, your usage metrics and customer feedback will help determine the success of your site’s navigation. This information will help you understand which pages are useful, which ones are ignored, and which critical pieces of information are missing. As you adjust your content, you should also review your navigation and ensure customers can quickly and easily find the content they need.

Increasing Page Views

It’s important to keep your site high on search results if you want to increase your traffic.  The web crawlers which populate search engine data look for new and updated information. A fresh website is more likely to rank higher than one with old and outdated features.

Reducing Bounce Rates

A bounce occurs when a visitor briefly views one page before exiting your site.  Bounces often occur because the visitor couldn’t locate the information they needed in a timely manner. A well designed landing page will keep potential customers interested in your site and ensure they can locate the information they need.

Targeting New Clients or Customers

If your company is targeting a new consumer group or client, your design should be updated to appeal to this audience. Incorporating relevant items will help your potential customers feel included as well as show your proficiency with their sector.

Although the reasons to change the design of your site are evident, the thought of redesigning your entire site may sound daunting.  However, there may be a simple solution. If your site has been developed utilizing a Cascading Style Sheet, or CSS file, making global design changes can be quick and simple.  CSS files control various design elements such as background design, global navigation, text formatting, logos, and content placement. CSS files can be updated independent of your content management system. They offer an easy method of reviving your site with a minimal investment.