You don’t build a house and neglect maintenance for years while living there, right?
You must renovate it often to enhance its value and make it more habitable.
The same applies to your website.
If the first thing users see after landing on your site is flash animation, a 2011 footer copyright, a 1990s font and typeface, and a blog last updated five years ago, will they stick around?
You guessed it: They’ll leave and never come back.
Because who enjoys staying in a deserted ghost town, anyways?
Read on to learn how you can change that.
On this page
When to Redesign Your Website
You know it’s time for a design when:
1. Navigation is Next to Impossible
In a perfect case scenario, users should find what they want (or at least see where it is) by clicking one to three buttons.
If the navigation confuses them, the site needs a facelift.
Common navigation issues to look out for are:
- A website structure that doesn’t help users find content quicker
- A cluttered layout
- An overwhelming number of menu items
- Technical jargon and acronyms that require a dictionary to understand
How to Fix
To help users navigate your website easily:
- Use a simple layout: Eliminate all clutter and only keep essential information.
- Use categories: If you have many topics to discuss, group them into categories in the right sidebar, so users can quickly find what they want.
- Organize menus: Put the most important pages, such as home, services, contact, etc., on the main menu at the top. Add the remaining items to the footer menu. Also, ensure menus are easy to access on mobile. Use website builders with starter templates to redesign pages into organized menus.
2. Outdated or Inaccurate Content
A refresh is inevitable if you haven’t published or updated content in years. Here’s how to spot inaccurate or outdated content:
- Out-of-date statistics
- Inaccurate facts
- Content that doesn’t match the target keyword on the same page
- Duplicate pages
- Content that isn’t optimized with keywords, visuals, and links
- Test content you forgot to delete from the website
- Low-quality content that adds no value to your audience
How to Fix
- Do the following to improve your site’s content:
- Remove duplicate content and only leave content that adds value to users.
- Hire subject matter experts to double-check your content’s factual accuracy.
- Make a content calendar for an exact schedule for updating existing and publishing new content.
- Ensure all pages are SEO-friendly
3. Your Site is Content Heavy: Users Can’t Grasp What You Do
A content-heavy website makes it challenging for new users to understand your business’s purpose.
Most users won’t interact with you, as they aren’t sure whether they’re at the right place.
How to Fix
- Simplify your content: Break it down into lists and shorter paragraphs.
- Explain with visuals – Use more visuals and minimal text to convey your message.
- Publish a few content pieces that make more sense than a senseless block of text that tries to persuade users.
4. Confusing CTAs
Are you getting traffic but can’t convert it? It’s probably time to take a long, hard look at your CTAs. Common issues with calls to action include:
- They aren’t visible enough that users might miss them altogether.
- Their wording is unclear, and users don’t know what to do next after clicking
- A page has too many CTAs; a user doesn’t know where to go first.
How To Fix
Improve your website conversions by redesigning CTAs:
- Decide the most relevant calls to action on each page or section.
- Select one or two CTAs that linger when users move from page to page. Style these CTAs consistently.
- Refine the copy: Use action-based words, emotions, and proven copywriting formulas to make people click.
Summary: Focus on User Experience
The website design should enhance user experience. Ensure users can navigate the website and find what they need faster.
Break down the content into smaller chunks and use easy-to-understand language across the pages. Make CTAs prominent and clear. Additionally, publish accurate and valuable content regularly.
