Does your organization need a website redesign?

If you are wondering whether your website needs a redesign, you are probably already feeling some frustration with it. That is a good instinct to pay attention to. It does not always mean you need to start over, though. Here is how to tell the difference.

Signs it may be time for a redesign

It does not work well on a phone. Many of your visitors, perhaps most, will see your site on a phone first. If text is tiny, buttons are hard to tap, or pages need pinching and zooming, people give up quickly.

You avoid sending people to it. If you hesitate to put your web address on a flyer, a business card or an email signature, your website is telling you something.

Nobody can find what they came for. Hours, programs, prices, how to donate, how to get in touch: if your own staff sometimes struggle to find these, visitors certainly do.

Updating it is a chore. When changing an event date or a photo takes an afternoon, or requires someone who no longer answers email, the site is costing you time every month.

It no longer reflects who you are. Organizations change. Your website should keep up with the work you do today, not the work you did when it was built.

Signs a redesign may not be necessary

The structure is sound and the content is just stale. Sometimes the bones are fine and the site simply needs fresh information, better photos and some regular attention.

One or two things are broken. A form that stopped working or a page that is out of date is a repair, not a rebuild.

You need help keeping it current. If the real problem is that nobody has time to look after the website, ongoing care may be worth more than a new design.

Questions to ask yourself

• Can a first-time visitor tell what we do within a few seconds?
• Is it easy to do the main thing we want visitors to do, whether that is to donate, register, call or request a quote?
• Does it work well on a phone?
• Who updates it, and how long does it take?
• Is anyone responsible for it if something breaks?

If the answers worry you, it is worth a conversation.

What happens in a redesign

A good redesign starts with listening, not with design. We learn what your organization does, who your visitors are and what is frustrating you today. We explain your options in plain English and give you a fixed price in writing before anything begins. Then we design and build the site, you review a private preview, and we launch it, setting up redirects so the links people already use keep working.

Not sure which you need?

That is exactly what our Website Checkup is for. We will take a look, talk through what is working and what is not, and tell you honestly whether you need a redesign, a smaller set of improvements or just someone to look after the site.

You can also read more about website design and redesign, or get in touch.