Is your website looking old? Does it look like it was built in 2010 (eek!)? Are you planning on rebranding? All of these are great reasons to redesign your website.

If your current website isn’t working for you anymore, it’s time for a change. A redesign can make a huge difference in your business – brand awareness, better content for your visitors, and bringing in more leads.

What do you need to do when planning a website redesign?

Have a Team

Pull together a team of stakeholders to own and guide the website redesign project. If you’re a small business owner, the team can just be you and your marketing team. If you have employees, your team may consist of in-house talent that is creating the new website and decision-makers, ideally five to seven individuals from different departments. As a team you need to clarify roles and accountability and track your progress.

Budget

Your website is not a place to cut corners. It’s where people form a first impression about your company and it can mean the difference between someone contacting you over your

competitor.

How much does it cost for a new website? There are many different answers depending on what you want on your site and how many pages you will have.

If your site requires more functionality – such as a calendar, forum, or registration system – you can expect to pay more.

Make a list of what you require on your site and what you would like on your site. Meet with your web designer to determine the additional costs of each need and want.

Audit Existing Website

Before you start the plans for a new website, look at your current site, and conduct a website audit. I recommend breaking the audit into two sections – technical and design.

For the technical audit, examine the SEO (Search Engine Optimization), identify missed SEO opportunities, and look for areas where your lead generation could be stronger.

In the design audit, you should look for any branding inconsistencies and assess usability and accessibility.

Content

One of the most time consuming but important part of a website design is content creation. Good content helps build your brand and builds connections with current and potential customers.

Content isn’t only the text on pages, but it is the photos and videos used on the site.

Hiring a marketing team to build your new site often includes an experienced content writer. Take advantage of this opportunity to have a professional write your content. They will use the right keywords that will attract your visitors and will help your site rank high in searches.

Most people get caught up in how the website looks and don’t think about how it functions. A website is not a silo. It integrates with your social media, email marketing, and lead generation. Start planning your website redesign now and you will find the process is pretty smooth once you have a plan.