Your website is often the first impression customers have of your business. If it’s outdated, hard to navigate, or not mobile-friendly, it might be time for a design upgrade. But don’t worry—updating your website doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This guide will walk you through the key steps to ensure a smooth redesign that keeps your content, customers, and search rankings intact.
1. Decide If It’s Time for a Redesign
How do you know if your website needs an update?
Here are a few signs:
- It’s not mobile-friendly (looks good on a phone) or it takes too long to load.
- It looks outdated compared to your competitors.
- Customers can’t easily find what they’re looking for.
- It’s hard to update or doesn’t support modern tools like online booking or e-commerce (online shopping).
👉 Quick Tip: If your website hasn’t been updated in 2–5 years, it’s worth looking into updating.
2. Set Clear Goals
Before starting the design process, think about what you want to achieve with the new site.
Are you aiming to:
- Attract more local customers?
- Improve online sales?
- Make it easier for customers to contact you?
Having clear goals will guide the redesign and ensure you’re focused on what matters most.
Reflecting on these questions and others can help you to set more clear goals and expectations of what you want when re-optimizing.
👉 Pro Tip: Write down your top 3 goals and share them with your web designer or team to keep everyone on the same page.
3. Review and Update Your Website Regularly
Your current website very likely has valuable information that customers rely on. This could be service descriptions, FAQs, and contact information. Review all your content to decide what’s still useful, what needs updating, and what may not be needed and can be removed.
👉 Plan Ahead: Save a copy of all existing content before making changes to avoid losing important information during the redesign.
4. Choose the Right Website Platform
If your current website is outdated or difficult to update, switching to a user-friendly platform can make a big difference. Look for platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace, which are easy to manage for a business owner.
By the way, we create websites!
If you’d like to get in touch with us to learn more, click here to contact us.
👉 Quick Tip: Ask your web designer or developer to set up the platform so you can easily make changes, like updating your hours or adding a new service, on your own.
5. Prioritize Mobile and Speed
Today, most people browse on their phones, so your new website needs to look great and load quickly on mobile devices. A slow or lagging site can make customers leave your website before they even see what you have to offer!
👉 Test This: When previewing your redesigned site, make sure buttons are easy to tap, text is readable without zooming, and it loads in just a few seconds. We also offer services to improve your website's performance.
7. Add Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Your website should guide visitors to take the next step, whether that’s calling you via phone, booking a service with your business, or signing up for your newsletter. Use clear and simple buttons like “Call Now,” “Book a Consultation,” or “Shop Our Products” to make it easy for people to take action.
👉 Bonus Tip: Place your most important calls to action at the top of your homepage so they’re the first thing visitors see.
Get Started Today!
A successful website redesign is all about making sure your site works better for both you and your customers. By planning ahead, setting clear goals, and focusing on user-friendly design, you’ll create a website that drives more traffic, keeps existing customers happy, and attracts new ones.
Remember, a smooth transition is key—take the time to preserve valuable content, maintain your search rankings, and keep the user experience simple. Once your new site is live, keep an eye on how it performs and continue to make improvements as needed. If you need help with any step of the process, don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to support Iowa businesses every step of the way!
