How to avoid the most common problems with website redesign

Are you planning your business website redesign? Or wondering if you should revamp your website?

You're not alone - every business inevitably faces the situation of having to revamp its website at regular intervals.

There are usually a few key reasons for the need for reform:

• The current website no longer supports the company's strategy
• The layout is outdated
• Site not generating leads or not found in search engines
• The technology on the site does not meet today's requirements
• Maintenance is burdensome or expensive

However, the decision to redesign a website is quite often delayed - even to the point of being detrimental to business. A website redesign can be a last-ditch effort, even if the old site has not been able to generate leads or support sales for a long time.

There are many reasons for postponing the website project. The main reasons are uncertainties about the success of the project and the return on investment. We'll explore these reasons in more detail below, and then offer tips on how to overcome the challenges and successfully lead your website redesign to the finish line.

Download the comprehensive website redesign guide here

What delays the start of a website project

A website project is typically a big project and a significant investment in terms of both financial and time resources. The pressure to succeed is therefore also high.

For example, these fears can delay the start of a website project:

• The timetable fails
  • not being able to make a sufficient contribution to the site project themselves
  • the chosen partner cannot keep to the schedule or implement the site as desired
• Costs spiral out of control
  • the project is much larger than the seller has indicated and is billed as additional work
• The layout of the website does not match the desired image
• The site is technically not working
  • the supplier does not know how to perform all the functions
• The site is not producing the desired results - sales or contacts
• New site not found in search engines - search engine accessibility will deteriorate
• Difficult or expensive to maintain and update
• The site does not respond to changing needs

These concerns may of course be justified, as not all service providers may have the necessary skills, experience or resources. On the other hand, the lack of clear frameworks can be a problem if the content and scope of cooperation is not jointly defined.

How to create the opportunity for a successful website redesign

So what are the steps to a successful website project?

By considering the following factors, you will help your team and your chosen partner to build a functional and effective website.

Budget and timetable

Start by drawing up a budget or setting a price range for the cost of the website project. Allocate budget and resources for further development and digital marketing to support the site's searchability after launch.

During the start-up phase, it is important to clearly define the objectives and correctly anticipate the scope of the project. So identify your own resources. Quite often, the decision to renew is not taken because the website project is not considered to be a project that can be done in the time available. Of course, it is very important that a company is committed to a website project, but not everything has to be done by the company. It is up to your company to set the objectives and the vision, and your partner will do the actual implementation.

The partner implementing the website will have the project lead and the practical know-how. The less your company takes responsibility for the practical side of things, such as content production, the lower the risk of project delays in the midst of other workloads.

The communication between your company and your partner is also an essential part of the scheduling process. Your company must have a designated person responsible for leading the site project, who also has the final say on decisions relating to the site.

Site layout

Clearly communicate the goals of the site's layout, and explain how you want it to influence visitors. You can also give some indication of the style you want, for example by using illustrative examples. Also make sure that the layout follows or is consistent with your company's brand guidelines. Remember to request access to the development environment to check what the site will actually look like. The look and feel can also be developed and modified both during and after the project.

Site technology

Be sure to check beforehand that your partner has experience in the technical features you need. Also ask to see their reference works to ensure that they meet your quality expectations in terms of content and visual appearance. Also find out what kind of website team the supplier can offer and whether the team has the capability for any customised implementations, for example, code expertise.

The site's promotional results

The website developer needs to be familiar enough with the motivations and needs of your target groups to understand how the website can influence their behaviour. In practice, the partner must also have a long experience of measuring and analysing website performance, so that they have a clear understanding of how to build coherent purchasing paths.

Search accessibility

Require a partner with a broad background search engine expertise, to support the organic visibility of the site. This expertise is reflected not only in the technical implementation, but also in the design of the sitemap, the content design and the implementation of redirects. In fact, a hallmark of a quality site partner is that the site developer proposes a comprehensive keyword analysis as a basis for content design. A competent partner also requires sufficient content or provides search engine friendly content produced as a solution to good findability.

Maintenance and upgradability

Always require your partner to host the site on modern, high-quality servers that support the publishing system. You should also explain how you can update the site and content yourself if necessary, and how the site can be developed if necessary. Ensure that the site is secure and that the author of the site is available to support you with any changes. You should also find out in advance how much any changes will cost.

It is therefore a good idea to think about the further development of the site at an early stage of the project. It can also be a good solution to have a website partner involved in the development of your company's digital marketing alongside the website. In this way, the website and marketing go hand in hand, and it is easy to put the conclusions drawn from the results into practice.

Download the comprehensive website redesign guide here

Why the Tampere Green Building site redevelopment was a success

Tampere Green Building has grown from a company with a few employees and a turnover of a few hundred thousand to a company with more than twenty employees and a turnover of more than €1.4 million in 2020. At the same time, the company has expanded beyond Tampere To Hämeenlinna.

From a small, friendly company, we have become a green contractor for large and demanding projects in the garden and outdoor areas. As the company grew, however, the old and well-serviced website came to an end.

We wanted the website to better reflect our expertise and our current operations. It was particularly important that the content and layout would send the right message to public sector organisations and companies that play an important role in the company's current activities.

We put the website providers out to tender and selected Digiteam as our website provider.

The main reasons were:

• Google Ads -through cooperation, we were already used to good cooperation and communication
• The digital team had a lot evidence of successful website projects
• The offer was concrete and we knew what we were ordering

Tero Ilomäki - Managing Director Tampere Green Building Ltd   

From Digiteam's perspective, there were a few clear reasons for the success of the project:

• The client was committed to the website project and did not think that a good result could be achieved by outsourcing the work completely. The company had very clear responsibilities and dedicated resources for the project. This speeded up the project lead time considerably.
• The Tampere Green Building was exceptional in its ability to produce content that looked like its own and, with Digiteam's guidance, to explain its own services in a way that also worked online.
• The client had enough quality images of their yard projects to give the site a high quality look and feel. In the visual industry, images are very important. Normally the lack of images can be addressed by a professional photographer, but in this case the seasonal nature of the business would have limited this possibility.
• The customer clearly expressed his/her opinion and wishes, but also listened and understood the perspective of the digital professionals when necessary.

With the right partner, you'll succeed

The key to a successful website project is to find a quality partner who will drive the project forward with professionalism and determination. In turn, the team's expertise, reliable processes and a strong track record are essential criteria for selecting a partner.

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Download the comprehensive website redesign guide here