Is It Time For a Website Revamp? Here’s What to Do
Think back to the last time you updated your existing website. Was it like a year ago? Or was it just yesterday for like the fourth time this quarter?
Guess what: Doesn’t matter!
There is no one answer to the question, “How often should a website be redesigned?” The time that elapses between website updates means nothing.
Many tech startups come to us saying, “We need a website overhaul.” The usual stated reason: “Our website just isn’t performing.”
This can mean a lot of different things. But website performance is a red herring. Let me tell you the real reason for lackluster performance:
No solid key messaging.
Wait, what are key messages? See them in action here
When you either can’t decide what your key messages are or have never thought about them in the first place, you get a site that is just … there. Visitors aren’t sure what you do or they never know you exist in the first place.
That means you’ll look at your website like clockwork every three to four months and ask, “Why isn’t our site getting views/bringing in leads/converting leads?”
Let’s assume for this post that you have your key messaging laid out. Let’s look at the reasons to redesign your website copy and the questions to ask before you or your agency start typing a single word.
When to revamp your website copy
Your site is inaccurate
Your website content must accurately reflect your business and your products. The last thing a prospective buyer wants to hear is, “Oh, don’t look at our website, it’s all wrong.”
If you can’t even keep your website current, what state is your product in? Update your copy as facts change.
Your site looks like it’s from 2005
2005 was almost two decades ago, friend. If your site looks old, your product will look obsolete, which is the kiss of death to any tech or SaaS product.
This includes if your site is not mobile-friendly. If it looks wonky on mobile devices, it’s time to redesign.
The writing isn’t good
If your site copy is confusing, jargon-laden, and/or feature-heavy, you need updated writing, stat.
Here’s what a well-written website can do for visitors:
It’s not performing
Since we’re assuming that you have key messages laid out, it is a red flag if your site has a high bounce rate/low traffic/no leads.
Create a website content strategy
Once you’ve determined that an update to your site copy, design, or both is in order, you need to know what you will make that website DO. Don’t think of your website as a brochure; think of it as breadcrumbs leading visitors to do something(s) you want them to do.
Establish goals
Any goals you have for your website must roll up into your broader business goals, otherwise, you’ll just be contemplating another revamp in three to six months. Here are some examples of goals for a website:
Generate inbound leads
Build an email list
Make sales
These goals should roll up into your broader marketing and business strategies.
Build your content strategy around your goals
Your goals should dictate how you construct your site and its copy. You have to create the right kind of content, and your content strategy should outline all of that. For example, if you want to generate inbound leads, you’ll need to focus on organic (and perhaps paid) traffic, which means a lot of SEO-centered content and landing pages.
Building an email list is all about a website that entices visitors right up front to join your email, which means convincing copy. And a site that makes sales is one that not only makes the buying experience easy but has crisp, concise copy that entices the sale or conversion. Fewer words with bigger bang.
Before you begin the actual redesign process, ensure each team involved has a clear understanding of your goals and how your site will achieve them.
Construct a clear path
Remember, this is a Hansel and Gretel situation. Determine ahead of time the progression you want visitors to take because people will not just sign up for a demo after looking at the top of your site for the first time.
Guide them. If someone lands on your front page, perhaps you want them to learn more about a specific product by going to a product page, then reading about it on a blog and signing up for your newsletter or downloading a checklist.
If someone enters through a blog post, where do you want them to go next? Probably to learn about your product on a specific page. That page should have the opportunity to sign up for or download something, just like your blog.
The post-sign-up experience is just as, if not more, crucial as the pre-sign-up flow. If someone downloads a checklist and never hears from you again, what value did either of you derive?
Build your messaging
There is a convincing way to speak to your target audience, and getting to that will require thought and work. Think about the pains your audience experiences and how you ameliorate them. We even have a course on building out your own key messaging if you don’t want to hire a firm like us to do it for you. And here are some more questions to ask to get to the heart of your messaging.
When you have clear, documented messages, everyone in your org should be on the same page when talking about your product. That consistency will flow into the website and provide leads or prospects with a cohesive narrative about who you are and how you will solve their problems.
What do I do about content creation during a website redesign?
Often, website redesigns cause content production to come to a standstill. It doesn’t have to be that way.
As soon as your teams have agreed upon goals, content creation should pivot to achieving those goals. Need blog posts to boost organic traffic? Write and publish them now. Not sure what will resonate with your audiences? Try A/B testing some copy on your existing site to try to get the updated copy sharper.
Content should not stop. Websites should be treated like plants: Feed, water, and nourish them regularly. Even after your website revamp is complete, never stop tending to your site. Your site the one domain that is solely yours to control; harness it to push you forward, not drag you down.
So look at your website copy, messaging, and design with a critical eye. If you were dissatisfied with your previous revamp, what was the issue? Was it a lack of messaging, an ineffective flow, or competitors who do a better job of either of those?
Try your best to examine things from an objective perspective. (And if you need a free, expert objective perspective, I review sites on my TikTok channel. Comment your URL on a video or submit it here.)
