Are you looking at your website and realizing it’s time for a change, but thinking:
“I can’t afford a brand new website right now…”
“I like the way my site current looks.”
“I’ve already invested a lot of time into this site!”
Before you spiral down the rabbit hole of thoughts and end up (unhappily) sticking with what you have, let GreenCup Digital break down some options for you when it comes to website design versus website development.
Website Design
GreenCup Digital’s website design focuses on the aesthetic appearance of your website. If you’re looking for a website redesign, think of these changes as cosmetic. We help you update surface-level changes like colors, fonts, photos, verbiage, and new page additions. Here are a few scenarios that exemplify when it’s a good time to redesign your website:
New Branding
Did you just upgrade your branding with a new logo or color scheme? Now is the perfect time to update your website design to include new branding elements. A well-branded business is all about consistency, so be sure to carry your branding elements across every aspect of your digital presence – especially on your website.
Branding changes don’t need to be drastic to prompt a website redesign. One GreenCup Digital client updated their branding with a single new color. While their logo, fonts, and other branding guidelines remained the same, we updated their website design to carry this new color as well.
Launched A New Service
Your buyer personas are always looking for the latest and greatest solution to their problems. If your business recently added a new service, product, or program, it may be time to refresh your website design. While design typically focuses on the aesthetic appearance of your website, it can also include some foundational elements such as new service or product pages! If you need a new landing page to help promote a local event, an additional service page to match your current offerings, or even a new page to highlight your recycling program as part of your company culture, website design is for you.
Your Business Is Expanding
One of the key aspects of good website design is communication. There’s a saying that goes something like, ”Fine art makes you feel something, graphic art says something.” What does your website say about your business? If your business is expanding locations, hours, or team members, it’s time to redesign your website so your clients feel involved and know exactly what to expect.
Improve User Experience
Great communication also impacts your website’s user experience. Do you feel clients are “getting lost” on your website? Or maybe in recent feedback surveys, clients indicated your site has poor navigation. Using simple tools like Google Analytics, GreenCup Digital can locate pain points throughout your website and redesign them to deliver a better experience for your visitors and improved ROI for your business!
Website Development
GreenCup Digital website development focuses on the foundation of your website. Think of these changes as structural – like building a new website or completely overhauling an established site to include new, core functionality and features. Website development allows you to improve your overall user experience with things like a new host to handle your website traffic, updated themes and plugins to handle site transactions, and custom enhancements specific to the way your business does business! Here are a few examples of when it may be time to redevelop your website:
You’ve Outgrown Your Current Website
As your business grows, so will your website needs. It’s not uncommon to outgrow your current hosting package, platform, or website. Like many GreenCup Digital clients, you might’ve started your own website on Squarespace and reached its limit in terms of capabilities. If your website has extended downtime, it may be time to update your hosting package and website to handle the traffic you’re receiving. Whatever the case may be, core upgrades mean a website redevelopment needs to take place.
New Features To Support Your Marketing
Let’s say you want to improve your digital marketing strategy. Your website needs new features to help engage your clients and qualify leads! New features can include chatbots, eCommerce, help desk capabilities for customer service, customer relationship integrations, and more. Some CMS (content management systems) have limitations as far as customizations or third-party integrations. These limitations are one of the main reasons GreenCup Digital builds websites on WordPress; we like to give our clients the capability to fully customize their website to best suit their needs and new features!
Your Website Is 5+ Years Old
Technology and search algorithms are constantly changing, forcing websites to go out of date faster than ever. If you built your website, then forgot about it, it’s definitely time for a website rebuild. It’s important to remember websites are living, breathing creatures; if not properly managed with regular updates, links can become broken (hello 404 errors!), outdated site structure can impact your search rankings, and overall site functionality can deteriorate, leading to poor user experience. If you’re looking for high-impact improvement to your digital marketing efforts, start with a newly developed website!
Website Redesign VS Website Redevelop:
How Often Should Small Business Owners Do Both?
The answer to this question is directly related to how active your marketing efforts are…and of course, your budget! As a good rule of thumb, GreenCup Digital recommends performing a website design refresh every year and new website development every 3-5 years.
The digital space is a competitive one and it’s important to stay relevant to site visitors and align your website to your digital marketing strategy. Need help deciding if a website redesign or redevelopment is right for you? Contact GreenCup Digital today for a free consultation to discuss.
