You paid for a new website because you wanted more business. It looks better than the old one, but a few months later, you’re still getting the same number of calls, bookings, or quote requests. So what went wrong?
Turns out, a new web design won’t do much good if it’s slow, fails to answer users’ questions, or doesn’t create a clear path for turning potential customers into actual customers. In this article, our Ogden website design agency will help you understand what design processes and website features actually move the needle on business growth.
Redesigns Don’t Fix What They Can’t See
Before your designer changes anything, they should see how people use your current website. A service page might look old but still bring people in from Google. Those people may call you or ask for a quote. You don’t want to change a page like that without knowing it.
If a designer doesn’t take the time to understand how your current site is performing and simply focuses on how the site looks, you may get a pretty website that doesn’t produce business.
When the Design Is Hard to Navigate
It is easy to forget how someone will reach out to you when you’re looking at a shiny new website design. A preview can look great, but that doesn’t mean people will know what to do when they want to hire you or buy something.
The problem often starts with the website menu. You may group several jobs under a broad name that makes sense to you but means little to a customer. For example, if you own a plumbing company, you might put drain cleaning, water heater repair, leak repair, and pipe replacement under “Residential Services” to show that you handle many types of plumbing work. The problem is that someone looking for water heater repair may not know that’s where they need to click.
Some businesses also make people work to find their contact information. They’ll have a phone number tucked away on the contact page or make you click around to find a quote form. Don’t be that business. If someone is reading about a service and wants a quote, give them a way to ask for one from that page.
And be clear about where you’re sending users. If a link opens your quote form, call it “Get a Quote” instead of “Learn More.” That way, there are no surprises after they click.
Speed Is a Business Problem, Not a Technical Detail
Website speed may sound like something for your developer to worry about, but your customers notice it too. If your pages take too long to open, some people may leave before they even see what you offer.
A redesign can make this problem worse. Large images and videos are often part of a new design, and they give each page more to load. If speed isn’t checked along the way, you could end up with a new website that’s slower than the one you had before. Sure, it may look better, but what did you give up to get there?
That’s why speed needs to be part of any custom web design project from the beginning. Whether you’re changing a few pages or redesigning the whole site, ask your designer how they’ll keep the site fast as they build the new design.
Content Strategy Outlasts Every New Design
When you build a new website, don’t just copy and paste your old text. A fresh design looks great, but if your old words weren’t bringing in customers or getting people to call you, putting them on a prettier page won’t change anything.
Your website needs to talk to people at every stage of their search. For example, someone might start by googling, “Why does my furnace keep shutting off?” Later, they might search for “furnace repair in Ogden” when they’re ready to find someone who can help. Instead of just having a boring page that says “We fix furnaces,” your site should answer both types of questions.
What people ask will change over time. Pay close attention to what customers search for online, what they ask when they call you, and what they need to know before hiring you. If you keep hearing the same question and the answers are not on your site, that’s your sign to add it.
Don’t let your website’s text sit untouched for years. Keep the pages that work, fix the ones that don’t, and keep adding answers as new customer questions pop up.
The Right Question To Ask Before Redesigning
Before you spend money on another website, look at how the web agency starts the conversation. They shouldn’t jump straight into asking what colors or styles you like. They should first want to know why you are replacing your current site. Maybe it isn’t bringing in enough phone calls, your important services are hard to find, or people visit your pages but leave without asking for a quote.
A web design company doesn’t need to solve every problem on that first call. The point is that they should care about your business problem before they propose a new design. To find out how they can address any business growth problems you may be having, consider asking:
- What would you check on my current website before deciding what to change?
- How will you make sure my website is fast-loading and mobile-friendly?
- How will you change the site so customers can more easily get the information they need?
- Do you provide the copy? Or do we?
- How will the design accommodate ongoing content?
- How do you accommodate best practices for search engine optimization (SEO) so our site can get found easily. (This may include heading hierarchy, image optimization, alt tagging, keyword-rich headlines, internal linking, and more.)
Beautiful websites are nice, but what matters most is how your site reaches the people you want to reach and drives them toward conversion. Don’t settle for a web design company that doesn’t plan and execute with these goals in mind.