NFIB

Redesigning Your Web Site
12/ 05/ 2002

by Vicki Gerson

With a new year right around the corner, now is a good time to take a critical look at your Web site. Ask yourself if your Web site has any of the following problems: slow page download times, cumbersome or confusing navigation, confusing or repetitious content, pages that are too long or sections forever under construction. Perhaps the biggest indicator of trouble is if certain pages or the entire site is not getting any traffic.

If any of the above problems sound familiar, it may be time for a Web site redesign.

"Think of Web site redesigns just like software upgrades," says Shayna Harris, president of WebCore Plus, Inc. (www.Webcoreplus.com) a Buffalo Grove, Ill., Web design and hosting company. "Software is continually upgraded to add new features and functionality and to make things easier and more powerful for the user. Your Web site should do the same."

If you have decided you need a redesigned Web site, there are a few points to remember before you start your project.

Make sure you hire a designer who will do the redesign separately from the current Web site. It is also important to keep a copy or backup of the old Web site. Get feedback before going live with the redesign. Ask business associates and customers who consistently use the old site for their opinions.

It is also important to provide visitors with fair warning of changes. This is especially true for transactional Web sites. Harris recommends that you announce these changes in advance. Notify your users beforehand via the Web site, email or regular mail. You may also want to add questions to your Frequently Asked Questions page detailing the changes. You don't want to lose any loyal customers because of the redesign.

One more thing to remember for your redesign: make sure your new site is search engine friendly.

"It is very important to redesign your Web site and write the content with the search engines in mind. You want visitors to keep coming back--not do a one time visit," Harris explains. "Don't spend money on buying keywords or search engine optimization if your site isn't ready for your prospects and clients."

Harris recommends that you spend the time and money on getting your site usable before you market it. Getting found in the search engines won't help if your users can't find what they want quickly and easily.

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