Open Discussion: When to Redesign Your Site?

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Michael Martine • 42 Comments

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while (thank you) and you visit it now (thank you again), you’ll notice th look has been refreshed. My take on site redesigns is that they need to happen with a lot more frequency than we’re probably comfortable with. Why? Because things change faster than we notice and we love to put things off.

But if you’re concerned about visual branding and design, you simply can’t have an outdated-looking site.

And even if you’re not concerned about how things look, you should be concerned about how they function and how smoothly the mechanisms of your online business operate. Design affects this, too, it’s not just the “pixel paint.”

In other words: don’t leave money on the table just because you find site redesigns uncomfortable or expensive.

How often have you redesigned your blog? What prompts you to redesign? Let’s talk…

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  • http://www.financiallydigital.com Nunzio Bruno

    Financially Digital was designed to supplement my consulting practice. I've been blogging for a while and never thought about site redesign. I don't want it to get stale and I want to keep people interested in the content and experience. I was already thinking about changing a few things but nothing drastic. Now, after reading this, maybe I should just wait and make some design changes once every few months or quarterly. It would def keep things fresh and who doesn't like a change in scenery.

  • http://keithbloemendaal.com Keith Bloemendaal

    Man, I redesign too much I thought! But you are right, you have to keep up and as I learn more I design more. I just switched to Headway last week, and I wish this theme was out 2yrs ago when I started!

    Look good around here BTW!

    • http://www.gpscardvd.com Car DVD Players

      Love the new look and I love how flexible Headway is too.

  • http://www.homewiththekids.com/blog/ Stephanie – Home with the Kids

    I redesign every couple years, more or less. The most recent one I finished earlier this year.

    I redesign when the old one starts getting to me. It's usually that I can tell it's out of date. Even so, there are usually a lot of similarities between designs. This most recent redesign took it from a left side navigation to navigation just beneath the header, plus I added drop down menus, and changed the layout to a fixed width.

  • http://erica.biz ericabiz

    Hi Michael,

    For some reason, your header is blurry. Maybe because it's all one giant JPG. I recommend getting a designer to slice it out so your head can be a JPG and the logo can be text. It will look far better that way. You can use a drop shadow CSS for the text that will show up in Firefox/Chrome/Safari. (See http://blogsetup.us — my site; its header has a drop shadow via CSS and it's text.)

    -Erica

    • remarkablogger

      Thanks for the suggestion, Erica! :-)

    • http://www.travel-writers-exchange.com/ Trisha

      It might also be a little blurry if a GIF was used…..I agree with Erica, but I would have your designer do your head as either a transparent PNG, or, for better cross-browser compatibility, as she suggest as a JPEG with your brown fade in the background – a JPEG will eliminate the striated look you get with a GIF and make for a pretty fade – then use the same fade background in a narrow width (like 5 pixels) but the full height of your header and use it as a repeating background across your header. Definitely do your “RemarkaBlogger” in text with CSS to style the font, colors, and drop shadow. You'll get a much better look that also loads much faster for anyone on a slow connection (is there anyone still on a slow connection these days? :) )

  • Whatever

    Really? This is your post? This is all you have to say??

  • http://www.slymarketing.com Jens P. Berget

    I haven't given this topic much thought, since I my first blog had the same design for 3 years or so. But, what you're saying makes sense, and I always enjoy looking looking at the old blogs being redesigned.

    I'm not so sure about the effects though, but they're probably redesigning because it's worth the time and the money :)

  • http://www.evowebdev.com/blog/ Ray Gulick

    As a web designer/developer, I redesign roughly annually; am in the midst of a redesign now. However, rather than redesign because I want a different “look”, I usually have a new or updated “message” that needs a new design to support it.

    • remarkablogger

      A new message definitely requires a redesign–simply changing the tagline,
      for example, would go unnoticed by most people (and doesn't make for much of
      an announcement, either).

  • http://blogforprofit.com Grant Griffiths

    Michael, love the new look and I love how flexible Headway is too. Once again, thanks for using Headway to kick butt.

    What is even funnier is the fact I am already thinking of a new design for my own blog and we just pushed out the current design in January.

  • http://www.adifferentkindofwork.com Christine Livingston

    Hi Michael,

    Cool new look! I like it.

    As you know, I've recently redesigned my blog. Before that, I was running on plain vanilla Thesis design. It served the purpose of getting the blog started but it became important to rebrand in order to give the blog the look and feel that one would hopefully associate with the quality of service I provide.

    I'm also running on Headway now. I haven't quite figured out all of its functionality, but I can already see that it's completely in keeping with my desire to take things to a different level again.

    From my experience of having been a blogger for a year now – can you believe it?! – I can see that blogging is a dynamic process and that who you are and what you provide as a blogger needs to shift as you shift yourself. So I can see why the design needs to morph too.

    • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

      That's the great thing about using a theme that you're comfortable with, Christine – you can really take the time to develop how you want to be represented.

      Although for my redesign underway now, I'm actually using a designer for the first time ever – scary and exciting at the same time, as I know what I want, but can that be transferred over to the designer.

      So far, though, loving each mock-up she sends me, so I have full confidence in her. :)

      • http://www.adifferentkindofwork.com Christine Livingston

        Sounds awesome, Danny. I find the whole design process so creative and energising! There's value in that too I guess :)

  • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

    I'm currently in the process of a redesign myself, as I really want to ramp up my cross-platform branding. It started with the design of my new company SRM Group, and will be filtering across my blog and social outposts/ Really looking forward to unveiling soon :)

    With regards frequency, I tend to freshen my blog up every 3-6 months. How that will pan out now that I'm going for multi-site branding, who knows? But yeah, change is good as long as it's not change for change's sake.

    Nice redesign, by the way, though think I preferred the darker background?

    Have a great weekend, dude!

    • remarkablogger

      I've had dark backgrounds ever since I can remember so I think it's time to
      lighten up a little. :-)

  • Dan

    Redesign once a year is a good idea. It gives a fresh look for returning visitors and also helps ensure you're “modern” for potential new visitors. The more professional your site looks, the higher the trust level visitors of your site will have with you.

  • http://www.archcityhomes.com Karen Goodman

    I started with a template website and blog, and moved it to WP after about a year. I hired a designer that didn't do a very good job, so it was only a year before I hired Rowboat Designs to completely revamp my site. I did a lot of research on best practices for real estate sites and how so many bloggers think it is all about the blog, when consumers really want to find the home search. The total makeover became the launching pad for a branding project that has spilled over into all aspects of my marketing. I'll probably stick with it for a couple of years, and when I do redesign, I will want to keep the same logo and color scheme if possible for continuity. I do think it is important to stay on top of new trends, but it's really about what will best serve your business and not just about latching on to every new widget that is the fad of the day.

  • http://www.webuildyourblog.com/ Andrew Rondeau

    What prompts you to redesign?

    Only the other day, a blogging friend ask, “Do you still offer a monthly blog maintenance service? I couldn’t find it on your blog”.

    I knew I did but guess what…it took me a little while to find it as well!

    That prompted a redesign of all my pages!

    Andrew

  • http://www.ridingthependulum.com Beth

    I have only had mine for three months but I am ready to redesign. When I get bored I have to realize that my readers probably are as well.
    When we used to redesign the restaurants we owned my designer would always say,”You’ve got to keep it fresh but keep some elements the same to allow your customers to still feel connected.” I think that goes for blogs as well.
    Beth
    http://www.ridingthependulum.com

  • http://evengrounds.com/blog Julius

    We do redesigns when we find parts in our site that our readers say they find difficult navigating to. Also, we redesign when we find new themes that are more user friendly

  • http://www.superawesomedating.com IamDavid

    You should redesign when the site has evolved, or if the site is not converting well to whatever your goals are (ie low bounce rate, email subscribers etc). Perfect example is that I am going through a complete overhaul of my blog. Reasons are:

    current name is immature
    high bounce rate
    does not accuratly describe what the content is really about
    does not reflect me at all
    has to much clutter above the fold
    confusing navigation
    in an nutshell, its not working, so its time to adapt or die. That is when you redesign.

  • http://www.travel-writers-exchange.com/ Trisha

    Great discussion! I definitely think any non-personal website should be continually updating to stay current, particular when it comes to functionality, as web technologies in general and WordPress specifically are continually improving to make a webmaster's life easier. However, I do have some advice for anyone who runs a website for business/commercial purposes;

    <ul><li>Be careful about doing a total design overhaul that involves a lot of visual changes at one time, such as a new logo, new colors, new navigation, etc. It's better to do a few changes in stages to avoid confusing repeat customers, which could negatively impact sales;</li>
    <li>Any changes that could potentially confuse repeat customers, such as a brand new name, new logo, or totally different organization/navigation, should be announced via email to your subscribers in conjunction with the launch, and also you should prominently feature an announcement on your home page;</li>
    <li>Try to keep some things consistent between stages of changing, such as branded color schemes (think FedEx's purple and orange);</li>
    <li>Consider using a focus group – even if it's just family and close friends (but strangers are better) – to get their take on your changes….sometimes our need for 'freshness' and what we think is great can be at odds with what users want or need, so it's good to get an objective opinion;</li>
    <li>If you use PPC to bring visitors, consider doing some A/B split testing (repeat visitors can be sent to your old site while you're testing) to see if your new design converts as well as your old one;</li>
    </ul>
    All that said I am also guilty of lusting after really great designs I see at other websites, but I try to temper that by asking myself “what can I incorporate from that into what I've already got?”, and I've learned to make small improvements that add subtle changes as I learn new things.

    • http://www.travel-writers-exchange.com/ Trisha

      Okay so the HTML thing didn't work…..lol…..pardon my ignorance, was trying to bullet point for readability :)

      • remarkablogger

        Trisha, no worries and thanks so much for commenting! I agree with you and
        you'll notice that not everything changed here. :-)

  • steers82

    We redesigned our website because we were not converting nearly as many visitors to customers. We went from a graphically interesting, yet cluttered website, to a cleaner look. Our bounce rate went down from 40% to 4% instantly. We are still not converting nearly as many visitors, but we are working on it. The next redesign will probably increase the call to action, but we don't know.

  • http://dmiracle.com Dawud Miracle

    Hey Michael.

    I take a different approach. I agree with you that you don’t want an outdated site either in look and feel or in functionality. Yet, as both a web designer and a business/marketing coach, I find redesign to be important when a site is no longer producing the results you want. This could happen because your business has outgrown your site or it could be that your site is no longer in alignment with your business goals. In both cases a redesign is warranted.

    Of course, sometimes you just need to freshen up the design…you know, do something new. That’s where dmiracle.com is right now. And I’m trying to find the balance between no breaking what’s been really affective while giving the site a fresh look. The difficult thing is that after 3 years, I still get amazing feedback on how much people like my site. So we’ll see what comes next.

    But for me redesign is mostly about business, conversion, results and reaching business goals.

  • http://www.coachtia.com Tia Singh

    I've had my blog for a year and wanted to redesign within 3 months! I didn't cos I didn't know what changes I wanted. Then at the 6 month mark I really, really wanted to change it.

    Well, it took yet another 6 months to get around to it as I realised what I really need is a complete rebranding.

    So I'd say 3-6 months into launching a new site is a good time to tweak and make small changes and then look at doing revamping it in a year. This could just mean decluttering and making the site cleaner, or it could mean a total overhaul.

    As we change and grow, our voice & audience changes and those have to be reflected better. Goes without saying that we should be updating with new tools (like FB like pages) and removing (old widgets that don't serve anyone) regularly.

    Tia @TiaSparkles

  • http://www.ridiculouslyextraordinary.com KarolGajda

    Great discussion. I've been thinking about a redesign for a while, but still haven't done it. My blog has been live for almost 1 year and I think it's about time to redesign. Besides the fact that I designed my site myself, it's earning income now (which I didn't plan, it was just an outlet for my writing) so investing in a better branded design makes sense.

  • http://www.yakuyaku.com Anthony Teixeira

    We're undertaking a redesign for our website right now, and here are the main reasons that lead us to do that:
    - The site grew, got news contents, and required a layout re-work to be more easily navigable
    - The design just got really old, and we obviously do significantly better
    - We had some ideas to help us inmprove our conversion read that implies a major re-design of some page elements

    So basically, I'd say the best moment to do that is when you feel a new design will really help you make a significant step forward in terms of pleasant navigation/conversion rate.

  • http://www.yakuyaku.com Anthony Teixeira

    We're undertaking a redesign for our website right now, and here are the main reasons that lead us to do that:
    - The site grew, got news contents, and required a layout re-work to be more easily navigable
    - The design just got really old, and we obviously do significantly better
    - We had some ideas to help us inmprove our conversion read that implies a major re-design of some page elements

    So basically, I'd say the best moment to do that is when you feel a new design will really help you make a significant step forward in terms of pleasant navigation/conversion rate.

  • http://www.internetmarketingformommies.com Jackie Lee

    I am in the middle of a redesign right now ~ the first “real” one I've done. I have recently gotten a lot more clarity about me, my business and my site. I want a site that completely and utterly reflects that. I want a site design that lets people know exactly what to expect from me, and my site the second they hit it. Hopefully that's what I'll have when I'm finished!

  • http://www.pariuri-x.ro/ Pariuri

    Looks good. I usually ask my visitors if they got bored of the old design.

  • http://auto-velgen.be/velgen-banden.html Velgen Banden

    The thing you say about redesign frequency is true, it might have to happen faster than we're comfortable with.

    As a visitor I sometimes wonder why a site layout has changed, but when I look back at the old design a couple of months later, I realize that it was totally outdated compared to the new one.

    This isn't only true about websites, but about design in general. Think about cars, for example. A certain model only gets outdated after a manufacturer redesigns it.

    • http://www.searchengineoptimisation.com Phil

      Thats true and its human nature to have love and attachment with old things…when new ones becomes used, they are liked naturally

  • http://ablogaboutvideogamesandtechnology.com/ TechDubDoob

    I don't think it's necessary to constantly update the look of your site, only when you think it's necessary. With that said, creating a unique and professional look for your site is certainly worth doing in order set it apart from the rest and take that next step.

  • http://www.makemoneyonline.pk/ Jimmy

    Actually i am not designer, but having some know how of photo shop. But your advice regarding the designing having potential. My brother is website designer so i have no need to go else where.

  • http://JupiterFLHomes.com/ DJMorrisInc

    Mike,
    I recently also did a whole redesign of my website, but my two concerns were both design and speed. The design was a lot easier than the speed, but since improving the speed, my traffic has gone up by 50 visitors a day and people are spending way more time on the site. This is the method I used and I still have work to do that hopefully will be completed this week: http://www.webpagetest.org/result/100701_SW1/ but you can go to http://www.webpagetest.org/test and run your own test. Their forum was a lot of help and I have been tackling it one step at a time. I scored an “F” for images at first and that was the biggest improvement I made, but it also took the most work, but my images were really slowing down my site….my site used to be over 1,000kb and now it is 239kb. Another great thing to use while redesigning is Yslow with Firefox/Firebug. Faster site = Bigger profits :) !

  • http://freelinksforcash.webs.com Jameshood

    I find that i just dont have the time to blog as much as I used to. Sometimes I will just sumbit a quick couple of lines and then move on….Does anyone else get kinda bored with blogging too?

    • remarkablogger

      If you're just in it for the money it doesn't matter what you do. You'll get

      tired of it real fast.

  • http://www.colonialfloorcare.com/ Marble Floor Cleaning

    I wanna thank the site owner for providing the nice site.

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