When it comes to websites, we take a redesign very seriously. Afterall, it's a big investment - in you, your business and us. So after you've made the decision that your website needs a makeover, it's time to dive into the next steps, which is actually preparing for it.
Navigating a website makeover, whether it’s refreshing your existing site or building a new site from scratch, is a big project to take on. And like any project, you want to make sure it’s done with care, love and strategy to ensure its successful outcome. Let's take a look at how you can make the most out of your website redesign.
If you don’t yet have a visual brand for your business (or it’s outdated), I recommend investing in that element of your business first, before you start your website redesign.
Your visual brand (including your logo, colour palette, fonts and style) is important as it acts as connection and recognition between you and your target customers. It's how people remember you and what helps you stand out in the market. Getting it right first will ensure that you have a solid brand foundation to build upon.
P.S. Need help with your visual brand? Head on over here.
Your website isn't meant for you, it's for your customers. And while it can be difficult to separate yourself from your brand, every decision you make for your website should be about your customer. So before you build your new site, have a clear picture in mind of who you’re building it for … and what they want and need from your site. This will impact everything from your tone of voice to the copy you use to describe your offering and the images that you have for customers to relate to. Every page of your site should speak directly to your customer.
With such a big undertaking like a complete website redesign, it's hard not to have A LOT of expectations, we get it. But what's your biggest goal for a new website and what do you feel you need to achieve it? Getting clear on your why is vital in this phase, because it sets clear targets and outcomes of what you actually want from your new website. Defining the main purpose of your website will help you to consciously create content that supports that goal.
We love to pull inspo from other industries and businesses in complimenting landscapes, to see what's happening in the online space. It's a good idea to make a 'wish list' of items you might want on your website or any special features that might help your audience to experience your site better. It's really helpful for any agency or designer you're working with to come to the table with a few ideas or inspiration so that we understand what's inside your mind. We love creating Pinterest boards or a Google Slideshow of ideas that you're gravitating towards.
This is a biggy and a crucial element that's often an afterthought. If you're not confident in writing your own copy for your website, you will need to outsource this to a copywriter. This process, depending on a few variables can take a few weeks - months and can cause a delay in the redesign process if it's not considered in the early days. For us, we prefer to work with a final copy deck before we start the design, so that we can give you the most accurate experience of how your website will come to life. Instead of filling it with placement text for a hypothetical situation.
As I mentioned, if you’re not a natural writer, I wholeheartedly recommend hiring a copywriter to create your website copy and content for you. It’ll take the stress out of the experience and ensure you’re successfully connecting with your target market.
Without a firm plan in place, it's easy for a project timeline to completely blow out, which is why a work-back schedule is essential. For us, we know that a website design can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks, depending on the size of the site. That would include the initial strategy, wireframes, design, refinements and approval. Then another 6-8 weeks for development and another 2-3 weeks for QA and testing (again, depending on the scope of the project). We've had projects that span 4-8 months in development when they're more complex. And while we set these milestone dates to work towards, things do come up and schedules need to be flexible for that. That's why if you're working towards a specific launch date, you'll want to factor in another 2ish weeks to account for anything that could happen during that process. The most important thing is that you're launching your website when it's 100% functioning as it should, without rushing that QA and testing phase.
Having your own internal schedule that works with the process will be helpful to keep everyone on track and working towards the launch date.
When you're nearing the finish line and you're approximately 3-4 weeks out of your launch date, create a launch calendar/schedule to announce your new redesign to the world. Consider the different marketing channels you'll want to publish to and how you'll want to unveil the new website. Create content that brings your audience along the redesign journey and gets them excited up until launch. Share your reasons why you invested in the redesign, any problems you're looking to solve and the future of your business and how this will help your ideal customers. It's a great inside peek into the process and establishes a deeper connection with your audience for them to be genuinely excited for your launch.
If you're thinking a website redesign could be in your future and you're looking for help to execute it seamlessly, we'd love to chat.
