Is it time to redesign your site?
How to avoid losing your google rankings when upgrading your website.
Today, I’d like to share some tips to help you identify if you need a new website and if you do, things to take into consideration so you don’t lose all of your current google rankings.
What is a website redesign?
A website redesign involves large changes to your website. This includes appearance, page structure, improved visuals and enhancing the user experience.
Firstly, let’s address why you might need your website redesigned
If your website looks like this, it’s time!
Actually, it’s not just about appearance. In saying that, your website is your storefront and you want first impressions to count. If you are trying to create a strong brand, your online appearance needs to reflect this.
I’ve had an online business since 2008 and that website is now onto it’s 4th redesign. What looked good in 2008 definitely doesn’t cut it now!
Many businesses we have worked with have upgraded their sites for these reasons:
- It’s outdated and doesn’t match their brand
- They can’t make changes to the website themselves
- It’s not user friendly
- It’s not mobile responsive
- It’s not ranking on Google
When a complete redesign is needed
- High bounce rates
- Not responsive on all devices
- Low conversion rates
- Not SEO friendly
Questions to ask yourself to discover if you need a website redesign
Is your branding on-point?
Does your site load quickly?
Is your website laid out in a logical format and easy to navigate?
Are your pages optimised for mobile?
Is it difficult to find your way around the site?
Have a look at your competitors, ideally the ones ranking in the top 3 positions on Google. How does your website stack up?
Benefits of a Website Redesign
- Improve SEO and website performance
- Enhance user experience
- Gives your website a facelift
- Upgrade to a user-friendly content management system
You want your ONLINE presence to reflect your business and brand. You wouldn’t leave the same posters on your front window for 10 years or have a broken sign with a dodgy interior. Same goes for your website!
A website redesign is more than just improving the visual appeal of your website, it allows you to make changes to the structure which can help to improve your search engine results page rankings (SERP).
There is a simple rule when it comes to redesigning your website; being fancy and unique with the key structure of your site is NOT good.
Essentially, this means that you want to have your headers and footers in the place where people will expect it! Don’t try and re-invent the wheel.
How does a Website Redesign affect SEO
Any website redesign can affect your search engine rankings, however there are some things you can do to ensure that you don’t lose all your hard work.
First Step: Check where your website is currently performing well. Identify current keywords in place and the current pages ranking highly.
Next Step: Ensure the new sitemap is logical and clearly identifies your content focus, ensuring easy navigation.
Did you know that 60 percent of users report leaving a website due to bad navigation?
Other Considerations:
URLs
Aim to keep existing URLs where relevant, redirect URLs where appropriate and ensure the site has no broken links.
Content
Keep content that is performing well. A redesign is also a great opportunity to refresh and add new content. Ensure all pages are optimised when your site goes live so your SEO rankings don’t drop.
Optimise Page Speed
When considering updating your website, it’s easy to get caught up with all the amazing things that websites can do. Flashing words, spinning objects, things flying in. These can all look visually appealing but can slow your website down. It’s important to find the right balance between those fancy, bright shiny objects and page speed. Ensure all images are optimised and embedded videos load correctly. Use minimal CSS and JavaScript, and clean up HTML.
Update Your XML Sitemap
This is Google’s blueprint of your website. It’s telling Google and other search engines what your website is about and is absolutely essential for a good website update focussing on SEO. All sites should give this due attention as there is no point having a pretty website if no one can find it.
TEST, TEST, TEST
Once your redesign is complete, you need to check:
- For any broken links
- CTA (calls to action)
- Site navigation
- Review opt in and contact forms
- Check shop functions if applicable
If you’re thinking about a redesign, just make sure you factor in how it will affect your search engine rankings and make sure you have a developer that takes this into consideration. If a website is rebuilt with no consideration to existing SEO, you will be starting back at zero traffic again!
Client Case Studies
Dare Waxing and Tanning – Cairns web design and Cairns SEO
Objective: Improve search engine rankings and user experience.
Outcome: We redesigned Dare’s Cairns website to create a more modern feel and match their existing branding. While doing so, we improved the site structure and user experience, ensuring CTAs were clear and the booking process was streamlined. Their Cairns waxing and tanning salon was also showcased on the homepage, creating greater awareness of all of the services/products they offered. Existing content and urls were retained where appropriate to avoid losing any current ranking. Page content was expanded through FAQs and all content was optimised.
Original Cairns web design
New Cairns web design
County Helicopters – Adelaide web design and Adelaide SEO
County Helicopters, an Adelaide based aerial agriculture company, recently had their site appearance improved, however the website was built on a platform that was not user friendly and not accessible by any of their staff.
Objective:
To retain the current Adelaide web design but have it on a platform where they could manage aspects of the site when needed. Improve Adelaide SEO rankings.
Outcome:
As the customer was happy with the appearance of their Adelaide web design, we focussed on ensuring the site functionality was improved and built on a platform that staff could be trained in using. We built their new site on Wordpress using the page builder DIVI. This is a user-friendly page builder with drag and drop features, making it very easy for businesses to update their own site. We also implemented additional pages to showcase all services and ensured their website was optimised for both SEO Adelaide and Victoria regions.
Find out more about Digital Marketing Hub’s Adelaide SEO solutions.
Airtech Climate Solutions – Adelaide SEO and web design Adelaide
Airtech Climate Solutions is an Adelaide based air conditioning installation, service and repair business. The website was initially built on the Wix platform, however with minimal Adelaide SEO strategy for improved website rankings, the site was not creating or converting any leads into tangible sales.
Objective:
To create and modern Adelaide web design that converts traffic into paying customers by improving the overall website appearance and structure and implementing an effective Adelaide SEO strategy.
Outcome:
Airtech Climate Solutions has increased their website specific sales through an effective Adelaide SEO campaign, incorporating keyword placement and calls to action throughout their website. Discover more about Digital Marketing Hub’s Adelaide web design solutions.
