In today's technological age, companies need to find new ways to keep up with the ever-changing expectations of consumers. People want simple, fast and convenient. However, that doesn't mean you should change your business's website or product to fit in with everyone else. Before redesigning anything, you should take the following questions into consideration:
1. Why do I want to redo everything?
If you're just redesigning to keep up with the competition, you might want to rethink your plan. The revolutionary method is all about aesthetics, not analytics, Kissmetrics explained. If you want to make over your website, you should do it with your consumers in mind. Revolutionary redesign is all about attracting consumers, but not necessarily about keeping them. Don't just use popular tactics because everyone else is. If you're going to put them to use, make sure they serve a purpose.
2. How is the old site performing?
Before you go about changing things, you should take a moment to look at the current product. What's working? What isn't? You don't want to completely switch up everything – you'll be throwing your consumers for a loop. While it's necessary to appeal to your customers, you shouldn't do it without some thought. Check out the data and see what's working best or not at all, Curt Schwab, founder and CEO of Blue Water, told Entrepreneur. Statistics don't lie.
3. Do I have the money?
While it might be simple to tweak a few things on your own, it takes money you may or may not have to completely revamp the site. Whether you plan to do the work in-house or out-of-house, it's going to cost a pretty penny. You'll have to incorporate the extra expense into your financial plan to ensure you have the flexibility for it. For a full redesign, you'll need a design team behind you, including a web developer, a copywriter and a marketing representative, at the very least, according to Schwab. All those additional employees are going to cost money.
4. Do I know what I want?
To be successful with launching a new website, you should participate in what Kissmetrics called Evolutionary Redesign. Instead of following what's currently popular, you should take a strategic approach. A new design cannot fix everything. However, changing a few things can't hurt. With ER, you'll strictly focus on what isn't working. Through testing and analytics, you'll be able to determine what you need to fix and not just what you want to change. You can make small changes over time instead of completely upending the entire product at once.
While it doesn't hurt to keep your product up-to-date, make sure to stick to your end goals in the alterations. Consider what you want and don't stray from it just to follow the crowd. In the end, your product will be more successful and reliable compared to those who keep changing to keep up with the competition.