One of the prime benefits to a web-based business is the ability to continually update your presence in line with market and consumer trends. And while the majority of websites provide function, where they often fall short is the UI (user interface), or what the user sees and interacts with. While there are many considerations to keep in mind when redesigning your website, we’ve prepared a list of what we consider being the top items that can lead to a successful website redesign.
Build for Your Customers
When presented with user interface ideas, many design teams reject mockups because they aren’t what they want to see. While it’s important for your website to reflect your company’s image, its appeal needs to be solely focused on your customer. Take the time to perform some thorough market research to find out exactly what your customers want from your website and use your current website’s data as a guide.
Collaborate with Your Employees
If there’s one group of people that simultaneously know and understand your products and your customers, it’s your employees. Utilize the Groupon Coupons page for Quill and place presentation boards throughout your offices with printed design mockups of your new site. Include stick-em notes and markers and encourage your staff to leave notes or edit your designs. As the design phase continues, keep these mockups updated and continuously use the feedback your employees provide.
Build on the Basics
It doesn’t matter how fancy of colorful your website looks and feels, if it can’t provide the basic functions that a user expects then it isn’t going to be successful. Before you begin designing how your new website will look, first design what it needs to do. With the basic fundamentals in place, you can then build your design. Remember that your website is, above all else, there to function. Don’t let design prevent function.
Time for a Change Is Time for a Change
A website redesign costs both time and money and isn’t likely to be a task you will undertake often. Accordingly, take the opportunity to overhaul every aspect of your site. Replace old product or stock photos with fresh images, and when it comes to product descriptions, arrive on a fresh and relatable writing style and rewrite all information for your products. If users arrive at a site that just has new colours and lines, they are unlikely to be impressed.
Understand Accessibility
Tablet and cellphone browsers are quickly catching up to desktop based browsers and offer many, if not all of the functionality you’re looking for during your redesign. While it can seem cost effective, resist the temptation to force your customers to view your desktop designed site on their cell phone. Not only will it make navigation and interaction difficult, it sends an image that your company is not tech savvy, leaving customers to lose confidence in your ability to deal online.