Avoid These Disasterous Mistakes When Revamping Your Website

Avoid These Disasterous Mistakes When Revamping Your Website

Not Planning for the Future

YouTube video

Without a clear plan, you could end up with a website that doesn’t meet your needs in the long run. To avoid this, take the time to think about what you want your website to achieve in the future. What features will you need?

How will your website need to grow to accommodate your business? By planning ahead, you can make sure your website is designed for success.

Not Considering Your Target Audience

It’s important to think about who you want to attract to your site and what they’ll be looking for. Otherwise, you could end up with a design that doesn’t appeal to anyone. Take some time to research your target audience and what they want to see on a website. Then, make sure your redesign reflects that. Otherwise, you could end up with a website that doesn’t attract the right people.

Not Making Your Website Mobile-Friendly

With more and more people using smartphones and tablets to access the internet, it’s essential that your website is optimized for these devices. If it’s not, you could be losing out on a lot of potential traffic and customers.

Here are some tips for making your website mobile-friendly:

Use responsive design: This means that your website will adjust to the screen size of the device it’s being viewed on. This is the most user-friendly option as it provides a consistent experience no matter what device someone is using.

Use a mobile-specific design: This is a separate design that is specifically tailored for mobile devices. It can be less complex and make use of larger buttons and fonts to make it easier to use on a small screen.

Use a mobile app: If you have the resources, you could create a separate mobile app for your website. This is the most immersive experience but can be more time-consuming and expensive to develop. Whatever option you choose, make sure your website is easy to use on a mobile device. If it’s not, you could be missing out on a lot of potential traffic and customers.

Not Optimizing for Search Engines

YouTube video

This can severely damage your chances of ranking high in search results, and it’s something that you should absolutely avoid. There are a number of things you can do to optimize your website for search engines, and if you’re not sure how to go about it, there are plenty of resources available to help you. It’s important to take the time to do this right, as it can make a big difference in your website’s success.

Not Incorporating Social Media

Social media can be a great way to connect with your audience and promote your brand. If you don’t include social media in your redesign, you could be missing out on a valuable opportunity to connect with your customers.

Not Testing Your Website Before Launch

This can lead to a whole host of problems, from broken links and pages to incorrect information being displayed. Testing your website before you launch ensures that everything is working as it should be and that there are no major issues that could cause problems for your users. It’s also a good opportunity to catch any small errors or typos that could otherwise slip through the cracks. So before you go live with your new website, take the time to test it thoroughly. It could save you a lot of headaches down the line.

Not Taking Into Account the User’s Experience

The user experience is all about how easy it is for users to find what they’re looking for and navigate your site. If your redesign makes it harder for users to do these things, they’re likely to leave your site and never come back. There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re taking the user experience into account when redesigning your site.

First, make sure you have a clear idea of what users want and need from your site. Second, test your redesign with real users to see how they react. And finally, make sure you’re constantly monitoring your site’s performance to ensure that users are still able to find what they need. By keeping these things in mind, you can avoid making a redesign that hurts your site’s performance and drives users away.

When users land on your site, they expect to find it well-designed and easy to navigate. To create a more professional appearance, you can add a few tricks to make the user experience better. For example, you can hide some of the page’s content until the visitor scrolls down to a certain point. Then, you can make the content available for viewing. This will not only make the user experience better but it can also boost your lead generation efforts!

Not Taking Care of Functionalities at the Expense of Aesthetics

Top 10 Aesthetic Websites [Inspiration for 2022]

One such mistake is prioritize aesthetics over functionality, or “form over function.” This can lead to problems such as a website that is difficult to navigate or use, or one that is so focused on looks that it fails to provide the needed information or resources. Another potential downside of this approach is that it can make your website seem dated or out of touch with current trends.

Functionality should always be a top priority when redesigning your website, as it is the foundation upon which a successful and user-friendly site is built. However, this does not mean that aesthetics should be ignored altogether. A well-designed website can be both beautiful and functional, and strike a balance between the two. By keeping both aesthetics and functionality in mind, you can create a website that is both user-friendly and visually appealing.

Not Taking Care of Site Navigation

 This can be a disastrous mistake, as poor navigation can make it extremely difficult for visitors to find their way around your site. Not only will this frustrate visitors, but it will also lead to a significant drop in traffic and conversions. To avoid this mistake, be sure to spend some time planning out your navigation before you start redesigning your site. Make sure all your pages are well-linked, and that your navigation is easy to understand.

If possible, get some feedback from users on your current navigation, to see what could be improved. By taking care of navigation, you can make sure your redesign is a success.

Not Defining the Purpose of the Redesign

Without a clear purpose, it can be difficult to determine what changes need to be made and how to go about making them. Without a clear purpose, you may also find yourself making changes that do not actually improve the overall effectiveness of your website. So, before beginning a redesign, take the time to sit down and clearly define the purpose of the redesign. Doing so will help to ensure that the redesign is a success.

No Plan to Meet Goals and Address Issues

One of the biggest mistakes is failing to plan ahead and set goals for the new website. Without clear goals, it’ll be difficult to measure the success of your redesign and make necessary changes to address any issues.

Another mistake to avoid is neglecting your website’s content. Be sure to take the time to update your content and make it relevant to your new goals. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up with a website that doesn’t achieve its purpose. Finally, don’t forget to test your new website thoroughly before launch. This will help you catch any errors or issues so you can fix them before your website goes live. By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll set your website up for success.

Not Understanding the Size of the Job

A website redesign is a big undertaking, and there are a lot of moving parts. You need to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, and you need to be realistic about the time and resources it will take to get the job done. If you don’t have a clear vision for your redesign, or if you’re underestimating the scope of the project, you’re likely to end up with a website that doesn’t meet your needs or the needs of your visitors. Take the time to plan your redesign carefully, and make sure you have the resources in place to see it through. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a website that’s less than it could be.

Not Setting Reasonable Deadlines with Buffer

It’s important to avoid making the mistake of not setting reasonable deadlines with buffer. This can lead to your project taking longer than necessary and can cause frustration for both you and your team. Instead, set realistic deadlines and make sure to build in some buffer time in case of any unforeseen delays. This will help keep your project on track and ensure that it’s completed in a timely manner.

Not Conducting Proper User Acceptance Tests

YouTube video

User acceptance testing is essential to ensure that your new website meets the needs and expectations of your users. Without proper testing, you run the risk of launching a website that is difficult to use, confusing, and frustrating for your users. User acceptance testing should be conducted throughout the design process, from early prototypes to the final launch.

Testing should involve a representative sample of your target users, and should be conducted in a realistic environment. testers should be given clear tasks to complete, and should be asked to provide feedback on their experience.  Testing should be conducted at regular intervals, and should continue even after the launch of your new website. By regularly testing your website, you can identify any issues that need to be addressed and make sure that your website continues to meet the needs of your users.

Not Taking Care Of Page Loading Speed

One of the most common mistakes that people make when redesigning their website is not taking care of page loading speed. This can be a big problem, especially if your website is image-heavy or has a lot of videos and other media. Page loading speed is important for a couple of reasons. First, it affects your search engine ranking. Google and other search engines take page loading speed into account when determining where to rank your website.

Second, it affects the user experience. People are impatient and if your website takes too long to load, they will likely just leave and go to another site. There are a few things you can do to improve your page loading speed. First, make sure you’re using a good hosting service. Second, optimize your images. And third, minify your code. These are just a few things you can do to improve page loading speed.

Not Taking Into Account Lead Generation Requirements

The first step in integrating lead generation into your new website is to create the perfect user flow. That is, you want to ensure that the user interacts with your website in a way that encourages them to sign up for a free trial, subscribe to your email list, or take some other action you consider beneficial. To achieve this, you need to map out the entire flow of interaction from the moment they land on your site to the time they close the website’s browser window. It’s a lot to think about, but the effort will be worth it.

Depending on the type of product you offer, you may want to consider using different landing pages for different parts of the user flow. For example, if you run a car dealership website, you’ll want to have a dedicated page for customers to find the right car for them. You may also want to use a special landing page for people who are just entering their name and email address to get the latest news about your company or find out how to get involved in your product’s community.

Even if you have a perfect user flow, you still need a way to get them from point A to point B. Whether you follow up with an email, send them to a landing page to learn more, or give them a call, you need to be able to guide them to taking some kind of action that results in them becoming a lead.

The call-to-action (CTA) is short for the “call-to-action button,” and it is what users click on when they are directed to a specific page or form on your website. The CTA can be a button, link, or even the text “Get a Free Trial.”

However, regardless of which one you choose, it needs to be concise, easy for users to find, and highly relevant to what the user is already looking for. For example, if your CTA is “Get a Free Trial,” but the user is on the shopping page and there are multiple offers to choose between, you’ve probably lost them forever.

Ideally, you want the CTA to be somewhere near the middle or at the end of the product page. This is because it is the most prominent element on the page and it will catch the eye of the user.

Not Backing Up Your Website Before Commencing

How to Secure a Website in 2022 | 7 Tips to Keep It Secure

If you’re considering redesigning your website, one of the first things you should do is back up your existing site. This will give you a reference point to fall back on if something goes wrong during the redesign process. Failing to back up your site before beginning the redesign process is a mistake that could cost you dearly. If something goes wrong and you don’t have a backup, you could lose all of your existing content and have to start from scratch. Don’t let this happen to you – make sure you back up your site before beginning any redesign work.

Not Making Sure Your Website Is Secure

The user expects to find your site well-designed and easy to navigate. However, they also need to be confident that everything is safe while on your site. This means that even if your site is well-designed and easy to navigate, you still need to focus on making sure it is safe. This can be done easily by adding SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to your site’s URL. If you’re not sure what SSL is or whether or not you need it, then ask your web host for assistance.

SSL is short for “Secure Sockets Layer” and it is a security protocol used to secure commercial web traffic by encrypting communications between a user’s browser and your site’s server. Essentially, using SSL allows users to feel safe visiting your site because they know their personal information will be kept private while they’re there.

To sum up, all web traffic to your site must pass through HTTPS before being allowed to reach your site’s content. To generate more leads, consider all of the above steps. Doing so will put you on the right track to having a successful website and helping your business flourish!

Not Analysing and Improving Use Satisfaction and ROI

You have a lot of tools at your disposal to track the actions of your website’s visitors. Without having too much detail, there are four basic analytics tracks you need to consider:

  • Pageviews
  • Mouse movements
  • Custom variables (aka. data points)
  • Session times

Each of these analytics tracks can be used to determine the effectiveness of various elements in your site’s design. For example, the number of page views the home page received compared to the number of page views the about page received can give you a general idea of the home page’s success.

What Is A Custom Variable?

YouTube video

A custom variable (or “custom metric” as Google Analytics calls it) is a piece of data you can add to your Google Analytics tracking code that will then be compiled into a report. You can think of a custom variable as a way of tagging each visit to create more detailed reports at a later date.

To create a custom variable, begin by going to your website’s analytics tool and clicking on “Admin” in the upper left corner. Then, click on “New Custom Variable.” This will bring you to a page that looks like this:

From here, you can give your custom variable a name and a description. Don’t worry too much about the name as you can always rename it later on. Then, you can add up to three metric values to it. For example, if you want to track the number of times a certain page was visited, you can add this as a metric value. Or, if you want to know the average time users spend on your site, you can add this as a metric value.

Each metric value should be entered as a number. For example, if you want to know how many people viewed your home page, you would enter “1” in the “Hits” section. Then, navigate to the page you wish to track and add your custom variable in the “Custom Metrics” section. Finally, save your changes and you’re good to go!

Conclusion

When redesigning your website, there are a few mistakes you want to avoid.  First, don’t try to do everything at once. You want to focus on one thing at a time, whether that’s a specific page or a specific element. Second, don’t make drastic changes. If you’re not happy with something, make a small change and see how it goes.

You can always make bigger changes later. Third, don’t forget about your mobile users. Make sure your website looks good on mobile devices as well as desktop computers. Fourth, don’t forget to test your website before you launch it. You want to make sure everything works the way it’s supposed to. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re not sure how to do something, ask a friend or hire a professional.

About the Author

Tom Koh

Tom is the CEO and Principal Consultant of MediaOne, a leading digital marketing agency. He has consulted for MNCs like Canon, Maybank, Capitaland, SingTel, ST Engineering, WWF, Cambridge University, as well as Government organisations like Enterprise Singapore, Ministry of Law, National Galleries, NTUC, e2i, SingHealth. His articles are published and referenced in CNA, Straits Times, MoneyFM, Financial Times, Yahoo! Finance, Hubspot, Zendesk, CIO Advisor.

Share:

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

PSG Grants: The Complete Guide

How do you kickstart your technology journey with limited resources? The Productivity Solution Grant (PSG) is a great place to start. The Productivity Solution Grant

Is SEO Better Or SEM Better?

I think we can all agree that Google SEO is pretty cool! A lot of people get to enjoy high rankings on Google and other

Social Media

Technology

Branding

Business

Most viewed Articles

Other Similar Articles