7 Signs It’s Time to Redesign Your Business Website

When is the right time to redesign your website? This is a crucial question because it affects your business in ways you cannot imagine. As a startup owner, your first task is to set up a website to advertise your business and connect with people online.

You must understand that building a website is not the end. You need to maintain that website, make upgrades, and transform it into its better version, time after time. There is no situation where you can say, “that’s it, I am done; this is the final, ultimate version of my website.”

There will always be something to improve. Maybe not a complete redesign, but a change will always be necessary. Nevertheless, today we want to show you how to recognize it’s time to redesign your business website and give it a fresh look.

1. You are not following the latest trends

Even though it is true that your website should be unique and not a copy of another website, you still need to make sure you are following the latest trends. When we talk about website trends, they can fit into different categories:

• design trends;
• technology trends;
• search engine optimisation;
• backend code structure;
• third-party tools;
• website security.

All of these things change over time, and you need to make sure your website changes too.

Design trends

When it comes to design trends, this applies to the overall look of the website. While we have to one more time say that your website should not look like other websites, there are some design best practices you need to follow. For example, if you are relying on photography, research popular gallery styles today. Also, parallax scrolling is still very popular for one-page websites. These are just a couple of examples, but web design is a large field. Some of the most popular web design trends in 2022 are:

• one-page websites;
• oversized, interactive fonts;
• responsible design;
• fewer images;
• adding humor to websites;
• adding art deco motifs;
• adding collage or abstract illustrations;
• using linework;
• split screen websites.

As you can see, there are many ideas; you just need to find what fits your business the best.

Technology trends

Following the latest technologies is extremely important in web design. For example, all websites today need to be accessible. Voice search is another trend that is gaining popularity. Also, a lot of businesses are now connecting websites with a CRM.

These technologies can make a difference for your business.

Search engine optimization

It’s time to redesign your business website as soon as the Google algorithm changes. Google releases updates every year, and these updates change how we use SEO. If you are not keeping up with the latest standards, you will quickly lose your indexing rank and organic traffic. SEO always needs to match the latest standards.

Update backend code structure

If your website was built long ago, you need to hire someone to update the code structure. Coding standards change over time and significantly affect your website’s SEO and loading speed.

Third-party tools

Many businesses use third-party tools to add more functionalities to their website. These are primarily plugins other people have created. All of these plugins need to be regularly updated. If you notice that the plugin vendor is not maintaining it anymore, you need to remove it and find a replacement.

Third-party tools that are not updated with the latest version are a severe security threat.

Improving website security

The first thing that comes to mind is the SSL certificate. You need to upgrade your website from HTTP to HTTPS protocol.

You must use the latest standards for managing shopping carts and payments to run an online store. Your clients need to feel safe when shopping. eCommerce is one of the most popular businesses today, so learn from the best to improve your website.

Furthermore, constantly check your outbound links. Sometimes links become broken, or the owner of the URL changes. You don’t want to lead your customers to an unsafe website.

2. Too complex web design

Even though we briefly spoke about web design trends, this is a specific area of web design that requires more attention. A lot of websites suffer from complex layouts that only confuse their clients. While this approach was maybe good in the past when all internet things were new and unique, today, it can only push away people from your website.

The main reason for this is that the attention span of average shoppers rapidly becomes shorter. You need to entertain their desires in seconds, or they will go elsewhere.

Web design must be simplistic yet user-friendly, informative, and functional. You should remove all elements that move the focus away from the primary purpose of your website.

3. Your website is still not optimized for mobile devices

This is a huge red flag if you are running a business. Optimizing your website for mobile devices is a must today – a requirement.

The main reason is that Google first checks if a website is mobile-friendly. The number of mobile users grows daily, and people browse the web more from their mobile devices. Using a PC website on a mobile device is a nightmare, and people will just close the tab.

4. You want to engage users more

We all look at websites as static pages that show content to the user. While this is correct, web pages also have many dynamic, interactive elements. When someone arrives at your website, they don’t want just to read stuff. They want to be engaged and be free to do things on your website.

If you wish to increase user engagement, there are ways to achieve this. We already mentioned making your website user-friendly. Another strategy is to speed up your website and ensure all pages load quickly.

Another great addition is to improve the Search button on your website. Add more filters, and help users more precisely define the search keywords.

5. Your content needs an upgrade

Content is the heart and soul of every website. It is why people come to you. If you notice that your content is old and outdated, it is time to redesign your business website.

You could do this in many ways. However, the first step is to collect customer data. Research your customers and see if their needs and requirements have changed. Understand what drives them and what drives their decision to make a purchase. This should be the initial step for any content plan.

Another way to change your website is to re-evaluate how you present the content. Are you running a blog, or do you have a product catalog? For blog owners, think about small changes you can make to improve content visibility. Create a “most popular” display showing the hottest articles. Post customer comments from posts and show likes.

If the users are already satisfied with how your blog looks, try not to change too many visual details. You can re-think the use of the font and images but keep the overall layout the same. It is essential to maintain a sense of familiarity while introducing novelties.

If you are managing a product catalog, think about functionalities. Maybe you need to change product photos, add new descriptions, link products to customer reviews, etc.

6. You don’t have social media integrated with your website

Websites built ten years ago, or even before, did not have integrated social media functionalities. That is a considerable miss today.

Social media is the largest database of clients, and you want to tap into it as soon as possible. You can do that in many different ways.

First, you should share social media metrics, like the number of followers, likes, and clicks. You can also post customer comments or reviews on social media to your website.

Second, add social media icons that will take clients to your social media business page. This is a crucial step because it allows you to get more followers.

Third, add the option for your customers to share content on their social media pages. This is how you can improve brand awareness and bring more traffic to your website.

Finally, integrate your marketing campaign with social media as a channel for advertising. This is an excellent way to boost your business.

Two to three years have passed since your last redesign

Generally, you should redesign your website every two to three years. This is the amount of time required for substantial changes to happen in the web design world. While you need to maintain your website and make more minor changes regularly, you should only make more extensive updates after some time.

Too often, significant changes will create a negative effect because users won’t be able to connect with your website and establish a sense of familiarity and trust.

Recognize these signs and redesign your business website

As you can see, there are many reasons you should redesign your business website. Do not be afraid when it comes to this; change is a necessary step in the evolution of all things. Before you start the project, outline your goals and have a clear picture in your mind. Understand what you want to achieve. Best of luck in bringing some novelty to your business world and improving customer experience!

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by JP Office

From Content Strategy to Content Plan: A Guide for Marketers

Marketers need a concrete plan for creating and distributing content effectively. A solid content plan will help you prepare and plan for cost-effective and reliable sources of traffic and new leads.

But, before you can develop your plan, you must first understand the relationship between a content strategy, content marketing strategy, and content marketing plan.

Below, we take a look at each concept in order to isolate the differences and help you discover how their successful integration as a systemic process can lead to increased marketing success.

What is a Content Strategy?

A content strategy is a holistic overview of all the content a brand has created (audio, visual, and/or written) and its past, present, and possible future uses.

It’s a high-level vision that guides the creation of content designed to help you attract your target audience at different stages of the funnel and maintain engagement even after purchase.

A content strategy helps you focus your content on important things, such as making sure that:

• You’re creating content that is relevant to your target reader
• Your content solves a problem for your audience
• It sets your brand apart from the competition
• You’re focusing on the right content formats for high engagement
• You’re publishing your content on the right channels
• You can measure content effectiveness
• Content is being generated in the most cost-effective way
• You can easily manage content creation and publication with seamless workflows

What is a Content Marketing Strategy?

A content marketing strategy focuses only on particular marketing use cases such as:

• Increasing brand reach
• Expanding to new target markets
• Cross-platform content sharing
• Lead generation
• Conversions
• Email subscriber list growth

It’s designed to drive targeted traffic to your website, and once those people arrive, your on-site content strategy works to convert them into leads, customers, and fans. To ensure that you are able to develop and implement the strongest marketing strategy make sure to use an industry-leading website builder designed to help you grow your online presence.

What is a Content Plan?

If you have already developed a content strategy, you probably think that you’re covered, but in reality, content strategy and content planning are very different concepts.

A content plan is the step-by-step tactical application of the content marketing strategy.

It determines the type of content you want to create and outlines the purpose of the content. The plan also clarifies who is responsible for content creation and sets expectations for how you will create it.

Content planning is all about processes and workflows. It gives your brand structure to determine which content initiatives to execute, how to do it, and when.

With a well-developed plan, you’ll be able to overcome the content marketing challenges you face daily, including:

• Making sure content is unique and relevant
• Accounting for resources at hand for more productivity
• Optimizing each piece of content for maximum engagement
• Keeping on schedule and staying on top of tasks, projects, and timelines

As a marketer, you know how difficult it can be to move from a strategic vision to an efficient and effective content marketing engine. In fact, this is something that many brands fail to achieve.

However, once your plan is in place, everyone will be working from the same detailed map which makes it a lot easier to avoid getting off course.

Examples of Brands Successfully Creating Content Marketing Strategies

Below are three examples of brands successfully creating content marketing strategies and their tactical applications via a content plan.

Example #1: HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing

HubSpot is a well-established innovator in digital marketing. The company coined the term “Inbound Marketing”, and showcases this concept with a simple process, which involves the following steps:

• Attracting
• Converting
• Closing
• Delighting

Source

The brand creates lots of valuable content that helps its customers and prospects progress their marketing.

Because of this, most of HubSpot’s audience thinks of the brand as an important resource, whether or not they actually buy from them.

On the website, you’ll find many free guides, ebooks, marketing kits, webinars, video courses, and blogs – all of which are detailed and authoritative. The quality of the content is high and every post is relevant and engaging, a key factor for great search rankings.

What can you learn from this brand’s content plan?

Quality and relevance trump quantity, so put your focus on creating top-notch content and the results will take care of themselves.

Source

Example #2: Buffer’s Open Blog

Buffer is a popular social media-tracking app that lets you schedule posts on social media platforms and track your growth easily.

The brand uses its blog to market the product and has experienced phenomenal success thanks to its foundation of transparency, trust, and openness. This sounds simple, but it’s actually genius.

The content on the blog is designed to show readers not only what the app does, but also how they can leverage it to grow their presence online. Each post is written to provide incredible value and contains juicy and educational information to help marketers get the most from the Buffer app.

What can you learn from Buffer’s content plan?

Focus on providing your audience with value. Inform and educate your readers and tell stories that people want to hear while providing them with solutions to their specific problems so you can become their go-to resource for all their future needs.

Example #3: The Storytellers

The Storytellers is a site that highlights the people behind the brand’s products. This is a great way to make the company relatable and personable.

One way they do this is by creating videos that highlight the day-to-day operations of the business that their audience doesn’t usually get to see. This gives their viewers a clear idea of how the company works, as well as shows them what’s unique about the brand.

It also gives the brand a chance to showcase all the different individuals who make the business a success, helping to foster loyalty with both employees and customers.

The best part is that all their videos are short, entertaining, and informative, which makes it more likely that their viewers will share their brand story on social media.

What can you learn from this brand’s content plan?

Create short videos of your daily operations, offices, manufacturing process, etc. to boost engagement with your audience. You can interview employees, vendors, or some of your best customers to create more credible videos.

How to Create a Content Plan That Brings Results

By now, you have a clearer picture of the relationship between a content strategy, content marketing strategy, and content marketing plan, and if you’ve gained some inspiration from the examples above, it’s time to look at how to create your own content plan.

In order to create a content plan that yields results, you must answer these questions:

• Who is your content for?
• What problem does your content solve?
• What makes your business different?
• How will you deliver your message?
• Where will you publish your content?
• How will you create the content?
• Who is in charge of content creation and publishing?

As you can see, there are many different elements of content planning. But, once you’ve answered the questions outlined above, you have what you need to inform your content planning.

You can then move on to developing your plan by focusing on these critical components:

1. Document Production and Content Workflows:

This will help ensure that all team members and stakeholders are following the same process, which eliminates roadblocks and results in efficient workflows.

2. Create a Content Calendar:

You must have visible scheduling on a central content marketing platform or software that allows easy updates, communication, and task tracking.

3. Streamline Onboarding and Training:

You also need to build a smooth and repeatable process for onboarding and training in order to eliminate friction at this stage of the content creation process.

4. Content Promotion and Distribution:

Identify the best channels to publish your content where you’ll connect with the largest segment of your target audience with the lowest costs. This ensures that you get the most cost-effective and maximum engagement for each piece of content you distribute.

5. Measurement and Optimization:

Once your content has been distributed and promotion has begun, you need a reliable way to track metrics and gain access to content analytics so you can measure performance.

6. Ensure you Have Full Consent To Gather Personal Data:

When a visitor lands on your site, signs up for an email newsletter, or makes a purchase from your brand, private and personal data will have to be collected. Part of a content plan is ensuring that you ask and gather consent to gather and use this data as legally required using non-invasive privacy policy agreements. Skip this step, and you could land yourself being sued or even face criminal charges.

For all this to work, you must make sure your setup facilitates transparency and communication. There must be instant collaboration between all team members to ensure unobstructed teamwork.

5 Key Elements To Remember When Creating a Content Plan

From the examples outlined above, you may already have inferred some of the characteristics of a successful content plan that are common to the brands showcased in the examples.

Listed below are five traits all successful content marketing strategies and campaigns share. Keep them in mind when creating your own content plan to ensure that you build on a solid foundation.

• Tell powerful and memorable stories
• Be honest and open with your audience
• Personalize wherever possible
• Choose quality over quantity – unless you can have both
• Employ high-quality visual content at all costs

With these key elements, you can be assured of a great content plan that will help you create valuable pieces of content that continue to bring results long after you hit “Publish”.

Conclusion

As this article has shown, marketers need a well-thought-out content plan to serve as a bridge between content strategy and execution.

A robust content plan will help alleviate many of the content creation challenges marketers face on a daily basis and ensure that you get your message across to your target customers at the right stage of their buyer journey.

Are you ready to create a content plan to help you achieve your business goals, like building brand awareness, increasing sales, etc.? Share your thoughts below!

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Ron Stefanski is a online entrepreneur, marketing professor, and founder of OneHourProfessor.com, which helps over 75,000 people each month create and grow their own online business.

You can also connect with him on YouTube or Linkedin.