Welcome to this week’s Imagine Monkey blog where we’ll be talking about website redesign!
In case you’re not a regular visitor or you didn’t notice, we did a little website makeover this week. Our shiny new design has loads of new features… a built-in introductory video, success stories, drop-down menus and a simplified navigational structure. You might be asking yourself, “Why the redesign? The old site wasn’t outdated, it wasn’t bad…” And you’d be right, but with the glut of online businesses and competition, one thing is certain…
If you have the opportunity to make a positive change, you must make that change.
Our redesign wasn’t initiated due to any negative feedback or sense of necessity. We didn’t hate the old site. We simply saw an opportunity to better our position in the market and decided… hey, that’s a chance worth taking! And that’s the essence behind website redesign: it’s not about giving your company a face, it’s about giving it a facelift.
Web design is constantly evolving. New technologies, new software, new widgets and new trends… it’s an endless cycle of improvement. To remain competitive, you’ve got to embrace that cycle. You’ve got to ride the wave. It’s not enough to sit in the shallows and hope that business floats your way. To really get the most out of your online business website, you need to put yourself on the cusp of those new developments.
Jeez, enough with the metaphors! What does that mean?
In short, it means that your website defines your company’s online image. If customers only see a drab and dated site, how do you think they will picture your business? There’s a reason people don’t go to garage sales in bad neighborhoods. If you want people to believe in the quality and value of your products, your site needs to project that quality and value. Your site needs to ooze sophistication. Most of all, your site needs to inform people that your company operates in the now.
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re going to a wedding. Let’s say you need a new suit. You hop in your car, drive downtown and hit a row of three stores that are advertising menswear. One of the stores is well-tended but its signage tells you that they focus on beachwear. The next store’s gutters are hanging low, their windows are darkened and they’ve got a sign featuring a man in a giant-lapeled leisure suit. The final store is classy, well-lit, modern and advertising more current, trendy designs.
In this scenario, which store do you enter? The first is nice but it’s not what you’re looking for. The second could be nice but they seem a bit dated, they might not be what you’re looking for. From appearances alone, you can tell that the third store fits the bill. And that’s why redesigns are important…
You want to let your customers know one thing: we are what you’re looking for.
In summary: don’t be the second store. Don’t lose customers to uncertainty. Before it does anything else, your website gives visitors an immediate impression. If that impression is, “This might not be what I’m looking for,” then your site is not only costing you customers, it is failing to advocate your business. So, don’t settle for a diluted, uncertain appearance, let Imagine Monkey take a look at your current website and provide you with a free estimate for our redesign services
