Ready for a Redesign?
Maybe it’s just that I’m slowly aging but I’ve grown to like old things. I’m not completely sure how this has happened, but vintage is now appealing. Faded, cracked hardwood is now desired and there is now a collective sigh every time an old plaza is torn down in favour of a bright new one.
Teenage me would be so disappointed.
I love Fenway Park; I’m not a Red Sox fan but the nostalgia of old time baseball has become coveted. Maybe it’s the Green Monster or even just Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond), but there is just something timeless about life in an environment where so much has occurred in days gone by.
History means something.
Sadly, this is not how the world of web design works.
More than ever, trends and new technologies make our once beautiful creations look dated. While there’s no denying, a brands identity can and should be timeless, the method and medium of its design is often changing. Failing to keep up, leaves us miles behind our seemingly more than willing competition. Marketing professionals will argue, how often do I need to redesign? Answers vary anywhere from 3-7 years, below are a few questions to help you come to your own conclusion.
Is your website responsive?
Traditional websites are built much like your home. Foundations are laid at a set size, the framework is constructed and all the details are completed within. The groundwork of website design used to be the desktop computer. We created websites to be a specific minimum size and any user with a larger monitor would see more of the background.
Then, the landscape shifted. Dramatically.
With the introduction of mobile devices, tablets and retina displays, there has never been so much variation in screen sizes. Websites that had a foundation built for desktops now have become difficult to use on smaller screens complicating the users experience.
Web designers reacted by creating what is known as “responsive and fluid websites.”
Responsive websites are built on flexible foundations that conform their layout to accommodate screen size, inconsistent window sizes, and orientation. As you change the size of your browser window, you’ll notice columns collapsing into single paragraphs or breaking into multiple columns. Images will reduce in size and grids of thumbnails will adjust themselves to comfortably fill a new screen size - or disappear altogether. The website will recognize phone users on smaller screens and provide resources better suited for their screen size.
Smart devices are here to stay. In Canada, 20% of total website visits occur on mobile devices, like it or not, that number is growing, all you have to do is look around.
Does Google know you are there?
Our Yellow pages book was delivered this week. Perhaps, my childhood memories have faded but I recall sitting on one these to get my head above the dinner table. Nowadays, they could qualify as placemats. The point is, people are no longer opening up the BIG yellow book to find a company to fix their problem. They are typing their request into Google to find a local company, now making first page status a priority. One of the most often asked questions we receive is: “How do I get on page one of Google’s rankings?”. Much like the meaning of life, no one can claim to fully understand Google’s changing algorithms. Here are a few lesser known tips, longer loading times and repeating keywords too much can reflect negatively. Adding image tags (known as alt tags to us “Web Geeks”) and removing broken links are positives.
Can you update your own site?
Ever browse a local shop for no real reason, other than to “look around”? Would you still go if you knew the store would be the exact same? Websites much like storefronts are designed to be fresh and why would your customers ever return to the same display again and again?
Older websites were built with HTML code that only web designers could update. This slowed the process considerably for business owners who need to update their sites on their timeline. It is now a standard that websites are built using a CMS (Content Management System) which allows individuals to login to their site, update text, add photos and post blogs.
What are your competitors doing?
While I am a big advocate for being ahead of the curve with finding new and innovative ways of marketing and communication, if I do know anything, you definitely don’t want to be behind. If all of your competitors are using the latest and greatest tools to gain exposure, becoming more efficient or creating a buzz and your web presence looks like it just stepped out of a time machine, it may be time to rethink your strategy as you’ve got two strikes against you before you say Hello.
Like it or not, the world of websites is certainly changing. Any questions? Give us a call or drop us a line, we’d be happy to connect.