If your business website is starting to look dated, is difficult to use on a mobile, or is no longer generating the enquiries it once did, a redesign may be worth considering.
For many St Albans businesses, though, the biggest mistake is to start with the appearance of the website rather than looking at what is actually working and what needs improving.
If you are considering updating your site, my web design services in St Albans can help with both complete redesigns and improvements to existing WordPress websites.
A successful website redesign should improve the experience for visitors, make your services clearer and support your search engine visibility. If you are considering a redesign, these are the areas I would look at first.
1. Review What Is Already Working
Before changing anything, look at your existing website carefully. Some pages may already rank well in Google, attract regular visitors or generate enquiries.
Those pages should not simply be deleted or replaced without considering the possible impact on your search visibility.
Check which pages attract organic traffic, which search terms people use to find you and which pages generate contact form submissions or calls.
If your website already performs reasonably well in Google, it is particularly important to plan the redesign properly. I have written separately about how to protect your Google rankings during a website redesign.
2. Make Your Services Immediately Clear
A visitor should be able to understand what your business does within a few seconds of arriving on your website.
Older websites often develop gradually over time. New services are added, old wording remains and important information becomes buried within pages.
A redesign is a good opportunity to simplify this.
Your homepage should make your main services clear and direct visitors towards the most relevant pages. Each important service should normally have its own page rather than being briefly mentioned on one general services page.
This helps visitors find the information they need and also gives Google a clearer understanding of the services your business provides.
3. Improve the Mobile Experience
A website that looks fine on a desktop computer can still be awkward to use on a phone.
Check your website on several screen sizes and look for common problems such as:
- Text that is too small to read comfortably
- Buttons that are difficult to tap
- Large images pushing important information too far down the page
- Menus that are difficult to navigate
- Contact details that are hard to find
- Forms that are difficult to complete on a mobile
A good redesign should make the mobile version just as easy to use as the desktop site.
4. Look at Navigation and Page Structure
Visitors should not have to work hard to find your services, contact details or important information.
If the navigation has become cluttered over time, a redesign gives you the chance to reorganise the website around what your customers are actually looking for.
A straightforward structure might include:
- Home
- About
- Individual service pages
- Locations or areas covered where appropriate
- Portfolio or case studies
- Blog or advice section
- Contact
The exact structure depends on the business, but the aim should always be to make important information easy to reach.
5. Strengthen Your Calls to Action
A website should make it obvious what you want a visitor to do next.
That might be requesting a quotation, booking an appointment, making a phone call or completing an enquiry form.
During a redesign, review where these calls to action appear. A single Contact button in the main menu is often not enough.
Relevant calls to action can be included throughout service pages so that visitors can make contact when they are ready rather than having to search for the contact page.
6. Update Outdated Content
A new design wrapped around old content will only solve part of the problem.
Website content should accurately reflect the services you provide now, the areas you cover and the type of customers you want to attract.
Look for:
- Services you no longer offer
- Outdated prices or information
- Old photographs
- Very short service pages
- Repeated or duplicated wording
- Pages that no longer serve a useful purpose
This is also an opportunity to add useful information that customers regularly ask about.
7. Improve Trust Signals
Potential customers often visit several websites before deciding who to contact, so your website needs to give them confidence in your business.
Useful trust signals can include:
- Customer reviews
- Recent projects or case studies
- Accreditations and memberships
- Years of experience
- Clear photographs of your work
- Information about the people behind the business
- Easy-to-find contact details
These elements can often make a bigger difference than adding elaborate design effects.
8. Check Website Speed and Performance
Large images, unnecessary plugins and an ageing WordPress setup can all contribute to a slow website.
A redesign is a good time to review image sizes, hosting, plugins and the overall technical setup of the site.
Speed is important for usability, particularly on mobile connections, and a faster website generally provides a better experience for visitors.
9. Keep SEO in Mind Throughout the Redesign
SEO should not be something that is added after the new website has been built.
Page structure, headings, URLs, internal links and content should all be considered during the redesign process.
If existing URLs need to change, redirects should be put in place so visitors and search engines are sent to the correct replacement page.
Existing high-performing pages should also be reviewed carefully before making substantial changes.
10. Think About What the Website Needs to Achieve
Before deciding on colours, fonts or layouts, think about the main purpose of your website.
For most small businesses, that is likely to be generating enquiries, explaining services clearly and building confidence with potential customers.
The design should support those goals rather than distract from them.
Website Redesign for St Albans Businesses
If your existing website feels dated or is no longer supporting your business effectively, a redesign does not necessarily mean starting again from scratch.
The best approach is usually to keep the parts that already work, improve weaker areas and create a clearer structure around your current services and customers.
Herts Premium Websites provides web design and website redesign services in St Albans for small and medium-sized businesses. With more than 21 years of experience building and improving WordPress websites, I can help you review your existing site and decide which changes are most worthwhile.
If you are still deciding whether a redesign is necessary, you may also find my guide on choosing a web designer in St Albans or Hemel Hempstead useful.
If you would like to discuss improving or redesigning your existing website, get in touch with Herts Premium Websites.
