Site Re-Design is a specialist area of we site development that needs to be managed carefully in order to make the most of the positive elements of your existing site. To maximise the opportunities offered through a site re-design WebConsulting incorporates elements of their Search Engine Optimisation, Site Analytics, Conversion Optimisation and Copywriting services into each re-design project we undertake.
Many clients think that the web redesign process is just the same as an initial site development… and there are certainly some similarities… however, there is so much more that could (and definitely should) be taken into consideration as a part of a site redesign. Some of the elements to be aware of are :
Goals
Has your existing site achieved the goals that you set for it (and if not – why not and how can the new site overcome this)… and have your goals changed ?
Usage Stats
There is a host of information available in your existing site usage stats… how do people navigate through the site, how do they find you, are they going to the “conversion” areas of your site … and if not why not
Existing Ranking
Even if your current site has not been optimised, it will have some level of ranking, and if you have done some link building or optimisation, it is critical that you do not lose the credibility that you have built up with search engines. Changing the structure, layout and even content of your site can have very significant impact on you search engine ranking. If not done correctly, you may even find that your rankings disappear altogether and you may have to start again from scratch to build up your sites profile on the search engines.
Content
Try not to be tempted to simply re-use existing content from you existing site…. while some (or even much) of the content may be able to be re-used, take the time to review it and check that it still properly reflects your business products and services and that it is still relevant to the current marketplace and what your clients are looking for.