If your company is anything like ours, then you are constantly thinking about redesigning your company website. As a group of talented, crafty and creative designers, developers, and marketers we feel the pressure to make sure our website is up to snuff at all times. And we lose sleep when it isn’t.
It’s true, sometimes the process can be overwhelming, but for B2B marketers a functional website that delivers a great user experience is a must. Your website holds the key to the public’s perception of you and in many cases is the key to your future growth. Would you send out your sales team unprepared with outdated information and materials? Probably not. So why do we think differently about our digital branding?
We have seen this happen many different ways – but ultimately a proven strategic approach will get you closer to the end goal, whether that be ROI, recognition, or LEADS.
So, when is the right time to redesign?
Leads are dropping off.
B2B marketers want their site to generate leads. If your leads are getting stale, it might be time to reinvigorate your website by presenting a fresh face to the world. One that reflects the brand, follows up-to-date industry standards but doesn’t rely on internet fads. The savvy internet users we are trying to reach are very smart and can see through the surface-level trends.
Creating a better user experience.
After your site has been up for awhile, you can really analyze the metrics and examine the users’ behavior. Are they being guided through the site in the way that you imagined? Can the user experience be refined and presented in a more comfortable way for the user? Speaking in interior design terms — this can go way beyond just rearranging the furniture. Sometimes the walls need to be repainted or even moved.
You have a new story to tell.
Companies evolve and change over time. We started out building and implementing a proprietary CMS. Fast forward 14 years later and now we are a full-blown interactive agency. Those stories are very different. And our website has reflected that evolution over time. I’ve witnessed at least 5 iterations of our web site, which means we’re completely overhauling it every 2-3 years.
No matter when you choose to do a redesign, you must approach it with the same level of intensity and focus as you would in other parts of your business. A half-baked attempt at design or development will be glaringly obvious. It will reflect poorly on your brand and could end up costing you business. As someone here says all the time, “You never know who isn’t calling.”