Is your UK business website showing its age? Perhaps it’s not performing as well as it once did, or maybe you’ve noticed a dip in enquiries. Many businesses reach a point where their online presence no longer serves their needs effectively. A website redesign can breathe new life into your digital marketing efforts, attracting new customers from the UK and retaining existing ones.
Signs your website needs a redesign
It can be tough to admit your website might be past its prime. However, certain clear indicators might suggest that a website refresh is in order. Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs.
Appearance
First, consider its appearance. Does your website look outdated? We still see so many business websites that look like they were designed in the late 1990s. A modern website is visually appealing and reflects current design trends. If your site looks like it’s stuck in the early 2010s, it’s probably time for a change. Visitors often make snap judgments based on aesthetics alone.
Functionality
Next, think about functionality. Is your website difficult to navigate? Users expect a seamless experience. If your visitors struggle to find information or complete actions, they will likely leave. A confusing layout or broken links are major red flags.
Mobile-friendly?
Furthermore, is your website mobile-friendly? With so much internet traffic now coming from smartphones, a responsive design is crucial. If your site doesn’t adapt well to different screen sizes, you are alienating a significant portion of your potential audience. This is a fundamental aspect of a modern website.
Performance
Finally, evaluate your website’s performance. Are your conversion rates low? Perhaps your bounce rate is unusually high. These metrics can indicate that your website isn’t effectively engaging your audience or guiding them towards your primary call to action. An underperforming website directly impacts your business’s bottom line.
Standards and dependencies
In addition, consider current web standards and requirements. Does your website comply with modern accessibility guidelines? An accessible website ensures all users, regardless of ability, can access your content. Furthermore, is your site built using up-to-date libraries and technologies? Outdated frameworks can pose security risks and limit functionality. An outdated website also struggles to meet the demands of the latest search engine algorithms, which can significantly impact its visibility and ranking. It might not benefit from Microdata Schema either, which help to make your products and services readable by search engines. Altogether this makes a website refresh a practical necessity for long-term stability and performance.
FREE Website Redesign Checklist
We’ve put together a helpful FREE Website Redesign Checklist to use when you assess your website’s lifecycle stage. Download your free copy today.
Benefits of a modern website redesign
Undertaking a website redesign offers numerous advantages for your UK business. It’s more than just a new coat of paint; it’s an investment in your future growth.
Firstly, a modern website enhances your brand image. A fresh, professional site conveys credibility and trustworthiness. This can significantly influence how potential customers perceive your business. It shows you are forward-thinking and dedicated to providing a quality experience.
Secondly, a website refresh can improve your search engine rankings. Search engines favour sites that are up-to-date, secure, and user-friendly. Consequently, a redesign often includes optimising for SEO, leading to better visibility online. More visibility means more potential customers. This also provides an excellent opportunity to implement microdata schema, which helps search engines better understand your content and can lead to richer search results. Furthermore, a modern website redesign allows for an improved and more strategic use of keywords, moving beyond simple keyword stuffing to incorporate more sophisticated, modern SEO methods. By refining your content and its structure, you can also adjust it to make better use of AI-generated search engine responses, increasing your chances of being featured in prominent answer boxes and knowledge panels.
Improving user experience and conversions
A key objective of any website redesign is to enhance the user experience (UX) and, by extension, boost conversion rates. This involves making your site intuitive and enjoyable to use.
For instance, a well-structured navigation menu makes it easy for visitors to find what they need. Clear calls to action guide users towards desired outcomes, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Ultimately, a positive user experience encourages visitors to stay longer and engage more deeply with your content.
Moreover, optimising for conversions means streamlining the user journey. This could involve simplifying forms, improving page load times, or personalising content. Every element works together to encourage visitors to take the next step. Therefore, a strategic website refresh focuses heavily on these aspects.
Enhancing SEO and mobile-friendliness
In today’s digital landscape, strong SEO and mobile-friendliness are essential for a modern website. A website redesign provides the perfect opportunity to address these critical areas.
Regarding SEO, a redesign allows for a comprehensive audit of your existing content and keywords. You can then integrate relevant keywords more effectively, improve meta descriptions, and enhance your site’s overall technical SEO. This ensures that your website is easily discoverable by your target audience. Furthermore, a faster loading website, often a result of a redesign, also positively impacts SEO.
As for mobile-friendliness, responsive design ensures your website looks and functions perfectly on any device, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. This is vital because a poor mobile experience can deter potential customers and even harm your search rankings. A truly modern website caters to all users, regardless of how they access your site.
The website redesign process
Embarking on a website redesign in the UK might seem daunting, but an agile approach makes it manageable and highly responsive to your evolving needs. Understanding the typical stages can help you prepare.
The process starts with a discovery and planning phase. This is where your existing website is audited and tested against current standards and best practices to identify what the main issues are. It is also when we understand your business and identify how we can improve your processes through your website.
Next we go through a brief planning and design phase, where we discuss with you the best way to move forward with your website. The main question is whether to do a full-scale redesign, or to iteratively make minor changes to improve your site’s performance. This is where we plan the scope of the rest of the project together.
During the rest of the project, we implement the plan. Here we develop your redesigned website through a series of short “sprints,” development cycles that last a few days or weeks and complete a function of your website redesign. During this phase, you lead the prioritisation of functions and scope for each sprint, and can change direction or priorities to meet your changing needs.
Throughout, the website redesign is tested and checked, and you have early sight of everything we do throughout the sprints. So, you’ll watch your new website developing from start to finish.
You will benefit from a central position within the website redesign process. We’ll be in regular contact throughout, and you can freely express your views on everything we do in real-time (there’s no waiting until the end of the project to approve what we’ve done for you).
Redcentaur’s approach to website redesign
At Redcentaur, we understand that a website redesign is a significant undertaking for any UK business. We pride ourselves on a comprehensive and collaborative approach, ensuring your new website not only looks fantastic but also delivers tangible results.
We begin by delving deep into your business objectives and audience, ensuring every design and development decision aligns with your strategic goals. Our team focuses on creating a modern website that is not just aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-friendly, prioritising conversion-focused and performance design. Moreover, we ensure your website is fully optimised for search engines from the ground up, boosting your online visibility.
We guide you through every step, from initial concept to launch and beyond. We aim to make the process as smooth and transparent as possible. Our expertise in website redesign in the UK means we can help your business thrive online.
Is your website underperforming? Get a website audit from Redcentaur.
Further reading on website redesign
Download our website redesign checklist
Website development UK: A complete guide for businesses
Website design that converts: UK best practices
Mobile-friendly website: A must for UK success
About the author…
Glenn has been a web developer and graphic designer since the early 1990s. He has followed the development of HTML, JavaScript and CSS from the beginning and has caught on to newer technologies, such as PHP.
Never resting, Glenn tries to keep abreast of new developments in his areas of expertise and is always keen to pass on his knowledge to help the web and graphic design community to improve user experience.
Glenn set up Redcentaur to offer easy access to the internet for small businesses and individuals, without the cloud of mysticism that surrounds internet technology. The stated objective of Redcentaur is to demystify the web for the uninitiated by offering easy-to-use, end-to-end web solutions and hosting at accessible prices.
