How much of a shelf life does your site actually have? How long before we redesign? How do I keep engaging my audience/customers Launching a new site is an emotional rollercoaster, it’ like going on a first date, are they attractive enough? Do I feel like I can engage with the content? Will the front end be as shiny and attractive after the current trend goes out of favour? Outdated designs Businesses go through a redesign process for different reasons, but the main one is the old-looking site. Even people with no experience in web design can tell they’re outdated. This can cause multiple issues for the company, especially if they’re up against fierce competition. Companies and consumers alike benefit from easy to use and up to date websites, that instill confidence into those using the site. Once you’re past that initial stage, your website is live and the trepidation wears off, you can start focusing on your digital marketing plan and content to add to the longevity of the site. However, what looked good in 2016, may not look so good in 2018. Up to date content Just like me, you maybe sat writing a blog post about something that’s currently deemed as ‘trending’. But, how long does that trend last? Boost the news suggests out of 30 articles over a 4 month period, 74% of articles traffic reaches its peak on the day of the article is published. The peak in traffic is quickly followed by a drastic drop. Within one week, traffic of articles drops on average by 90% After one month, the average daily traffic of articles is equivalent to merely 1.7% of initial traffic during the peak. So why do we do it to ourselves? Some would say, to keep the website’s flame alight! The nuts and bolts of our site rely on us to keep the content fresh and up to date. Roemin Creative Technology is firm believers in ‘content is the new SEO’. Utilising new and exciting blog posts, video, infographics and engaging content to keep traffic coming to our site. Outdated user experience We’re all guilty of it, who doesn’t do it? We probably spend more time on our competitor’s websites, than we do on our own. If you don’t I recommend you do! Spending time exploring similar companies and paying attention to what their doing is invaluable. Sites that utilize the latest design trends and understand users’ behaviors tend to be far ahead of the game. UX and UI designers can really help you get the best out of your site, not only by implementing new and innovative functionality but, providing the best possible experience to your users and potentially converting them into customers. If it doesn’t work, FIX it! User interface designs are not the only thing to consider when thinking about website redesign. The behind the scenes is just as important if not more to the success of your website. It’s not enough to have just a great looking site, if it doesn’t respond the way it should or has limited functionality, the site will fail to convert customers. Whilst the site isn’t functioning correctly, the company may lose money (money that could be spent on a redesign) Is this all enough? There’s lots of conflicting information online, some would say bias regarding how long a website’s life expectancy is. Developers now have a plethora of swanky, engaging and creative templates to choose from but, off the shelf, products have been designed for the masses rather than the individual thus, in my opinion affecting the overall longevity of a website. We recommend choosing a development company or digital agency that can work with your team to understand your core business and create a site that showcases your services or products. There is no magic number or defined sell-by date, however, if the site doesn’t have the same magic anymore, it’s time to think of a redesign. Source: Roemin Blog
