Website Refresh vs Website Redesign: What Is the Difference?
Doing a full-scale redesign of your website can be a daunting task, depending on just how much you plan to change. It’s not unusual for some redesigns to take up to two years to plan, wireframe, implement, and zero in on prime performance perfection. This could also involve reevaluating or changing your CMS, navigation menu layout, blog structure, and if applicable, e-store elements to create an enhanced customer experience.
On the other hand, a website refresh offers a new façade to the same reliable information and already-functional structure of your website. You’ll be able to maintain your existing CMS and navigation menus that your customers and employees are already familiar with, but add a simple twist with a new look, features, and interactive plugins where underutilized pages once were. Undertaking a refresh updates your website to current graphic, design, and online tool standards without the effort (and expense) of a full-scale redesign overhaul.
Website refresh projects give your company the chance to spruce up keywords, accentuate your top performing pages, and improve the overall appearance of your website for better conversions — without overhauling the entire infrastructure.
Our team has compiled a list of recommendations and best practices to keep in mind as you look to spruce up your website.
Review Your Website Flow
Consider how customers flow through your website. Rethink your site architecture, conversion funnel, visual experience, search features, and shopping cart checkout process.
Tell Your Story in the About Section
Audiences today love stories and, when exploring a new brand, they want to hear the story behind it. Find your brand’s stories – not just the founding story but also other stories inspired, created, or made possible by your brand.
Rethink Your Content Strategy
Re-strategize based on the types of content that pairs with current hot-button issues that your specific industry audience cares about today. Be sure your call to actions are clear and give leads the tools they need to take action.
Add On-Page Widgets and Update Software and Plugins
Make it easy for customers to browse your calendar with a booking plugin or calculate their cost per square footage with an ROI calculating tool. Make sure all the technology you are using is up to date with the latest versions and compatible with each other. This will increase website performance and ranking if done correctly.
Repair Broken Links and Images
Review and scan your website for broken links, broken images, and anything else that no longer connects correctly.
Rebuild Your SEO Strategy, Front-End, and Back-End
The rules of top SEO change year-to-year, making SEO strategy refreshment an annual must-have. Re-strategize your content front-end SEO and your metadata back-end SEO.
Beef Up Your Hosting Server and Account Cybersecurity
Consider upgrading to a private VPS server to improve your website’s security measures, protecting your data, hosting, and user accounts while ensuring 24/7 uptime, security and website maintenance is taken care of.
Refreshing your website is an effective way to improve both the user experience and the technical aspects of your current website without breaking the bank on a complete rebuild and restructuring.
Does your website need a rejuvenation to reach your performance goals for 2022? Contact us today to schedule an in-depth review of your current website and how it can be improved to ensure your business’ sales and marketing efforts are successful!
