When is it time for a website redesign

We often get asked “How often should we re-design our website”? It’s not a simple question to answer.

Rule of thumb: every 2 to 3 years

Because building websites is our business, we see the trends and make recommendations for rebuilding. In general, you should redesign and rebuild your website every 2 – 3 years. It’s often tough to get around to working on your own projects i.e. the shoemaker has no shoes, and we understand this even with our own website. However, with a website being a key part of most businesses – for marketing, operations and communication – it’s best not to put it off for too long.

Before and After Website Northern Rock Tops
Before and After Website – Northern Rock Tops

Aside from the visual updates a new design and look can provide i.e. like driving a new car vs. an old car, there are other considerations. The most important consideration for this year is whether or not your website is responsive or provides another alternative for mobile searches. Will your website respond to the various platforms i.e. desktop, tablet and mobile? This is particularly important since more and more users are searching using mobile devices. More importantly, Google has started to penalize sites that are not mobile friendly on mobile searches.

Other considerations in rebuilding your website

While improved performance is a big reason for a rebuild, there are other reasons to start a new web project. For instance:

  • branding changes
  • marketing trends
  • new content that might streamline the sales process and improve lead generation

Does new content work within your current website design?

Keeping your content current is always important. Sometimes with just minor content changes but a new design, the visual changes can have a big impact on how potential clients view you as a supplier. Most of the content was already on the old site shown above, but presented in a new design it makes a bold impact.

Is it time to rebuild your site?

Remember your website is your marketing tool. Make sure it is up-to-date to meet Google’s standards and up-to-date for your business needs too.