9 Website Redesign Mistakes Explained in GIFs

After years and years of trying to convince people that your website needs a major overhaul, the company has finally given the green light on a website redesign project. Congratulations! But buyer beware: there are a plethora of elements to consider when embarking on this lengthy adventure. Here are some of the things you should look to avoid during this process, explained in GIFs.

1. Not creating a well-defined plan

Sometimes you can just wing things and your results come out perfectly. A website redesign project is certainly not a time to test these free-for-all skills. Without a carefully coordinated project plan, even the smallest bumps in the road can turn into massive roadblocks.

2. Putting too much focus on design, and not enough on content

Website redesign projects are not just about making everything look pretty. The point of a redesign is to enhance the overall experience, and that simply cannot be accomplished if content is poor, or even worse, missing. Design may make this experience more pleasurable, but content is what causes users to come back. 

3. Having an unrealistic timeline

Need a complete website overhaul by the end of next week? Yeah...that’s not going to happen. With various stages of design, development, and testing, there’s a lot that goes into a website project. By allotting extra time for a project to be completed, everything will be less stressful around launch time.

4. Going for the cheapest option

Yes, there are cheaper options like SquareSpace or Wix that stream the process of website design. However, these websites should typically be reserved for personal websites or small businesses. In order to have a wider range of capabilities and flexibility, it’s best to reach out to an agency that fits your needs.

5. Not choosing the right partner

A website redesign project can be a long haul. There will be plenty of pushing and pulling between the agency and client during this process, so make sure that you take your time and figure out if your needs and skillsets are compatible enough to work with each other.

6. Wanting everything

When thinking of which features to include in your website, always think of its purpose first. With a wide array of options available, it may be tempting to try and include everything. However, too much can cause clutter and actually take away from the overall experience of a website.

7. Having too many cooks in the kitchen

While it is important to consider inputs from different departments, an ideal website for one department may not be best for the entire company. If too many individuals are involved in the decision-making process, the project may hit bottlenecks at key points in the process.

8. Not doing extensive testing

The worst nightmare for a website redesign project is having a launch riddled with bugs and being stuck with a site that doesn’t function properly. There are bound to be some problems around launch time, but rigorous testing can minimize these problem significantly.

9.) Stopping at the launch

After months and months of work on the project, the website has finally launched and you’re free to go on with your lives! Well...sort of. The Internet is a rapidly evolving space, so you should constantly be looking for ways to take your site to the next level.