As you know, this week we wrote a lot about redesign. Not just what we think, what you need to know but also a little about how the web itself is redesigning itself, ever since iOS 7 hit our devices.
So for the finale of this week long thought experiment, here’s the final keystone that you need when you start analyzing that whether your website needs a redesign or not.
The Stages of Website Redesign

Define and Refine Your Goals

When you start a business, you establish an online presence through your website, your social networks, your accounts online. As a startup, what are your goals? Is your website’s UI design aligned with those goals? As an enterprise, what are your goals? Are they same as when you began or have they changed, evolved with time? And has your website’s UI Design evolved with your goals?
Design is a tool for a business. A medium through which the user interacts with your presence on their device. If your presence is hampered, rough, untextured and incommunicative, the design elements will be the core reason for that. Take a look at your page or better yet, ask complete strangers to take a look. If they have trouble finding an information that you want them to find, you need a website redesign.

Optimize your Design (Yes that includes and primarily focuses on Content)

Your content is the king of your website. A beautiful layout is but a blank template if it does not contain information which is valuable to the user. Optimizing your content does not only mean making it filled with words that’ll bring you to the top of google search. It means making it more readable. It means making it more valuable.
Content is a part of design. Why? Because the design is the canvas while content is what you draw on that canvas. The user sees the big picture first, that there is valuable content available easily. It is then, that they feel compelled to explore the minutiae of your website, explore what you offer, understand how your service/product is the solution they were looking for.

Go back to the paper.

We have a great passion for technology where you can bring your skill and transform them into visually experienced results. But we also know the importance of pen and paper. When planning your website redesign, try sketching out what you think your website should really look like. Fill in details if you want or stick to a general outline. Whichever suits you better. The main intent of this exercise is to get your thoughts running towards understanding what design do you need.

Begin with wireframes, refine throughout.

Design is all about filtering. Take ten elements of your website. Take a long hard look at whether you truly need all ten of them? Are you sure?
You might’ve heard the quote “Great design is invisible.” but it is only partially true. Great design is invisible in its behavior, but very very visible by its effect. Great design does not hide itself. It provides emphasis and context. It does not retreat, it reframes information to make it appear in prominence and clarity.

Launch

Once you have the redesign, once you’ve rebuilt your page, deploy it. Now comes the part where you don’t doubt. You place confidence in your website and you track the changes. Make sure you double check everything before you launch. Are the URLs directing in the correct direction? Is every functionality active? Are there any wasteful elements? Is the content and the design working together? Is the information visible?

Post-launch, track and ruthlessly monitor the analytics of your website. Traffic, eyeballs, bounce rate, CTR. Remember, a good design is about how it works. And if it doesn’t, its not good design.

Vinfotech is a web design and development firm based in San Francisco and India. We offer global expertise in UI design solutions for startups and enterprises around the world. If you’re looking for a makeover that brings your website back on top, we can help. Give us a call.