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Now that we’ve looked at the steps you should take before starting a website redesign as well as some SEO tips to keep in mind, we’re going to move on to what many consider the “sexiest” part of a redesign: the actual look and design of the website.
It’s very easy to get swept up in the excitement and wind up overdoing it or building something that looks great but isn’t very functional. Here are some tips from HubSpot Partners to keep you on the right path.
Don’t Turn Anyone Off or Away
So you’ve done your SEO homework, built up a repository of great content and established yourself as a thought leader – all the hallmarks of a great inbound marketing strategy. But what happens when someone comes to your new site and has no clue how to navigate it or find what they need? As HubSpot partner Christine Hafner of Hafner Creative Communications wisely points out, “We shop where we feel comfortable. We use services that we feel confident in. These feelings are conveyed by the combination of words and design. A site may be able to attract initial traffic to the site with SEO and social media but they may not stick around if they find the site visually confusing, boring or unappealing.” Make sure that your site is as inviting, clear and trust inspiring as your content.
Make Sure You Show Who YOU Are
We recognize that your content will help differentiate you from your competition. But sometimes we forget that design can do this as well. That’s not to say, your site has to be the most stunning, innovative design in order to separate you from the pack. What it does mean, is that you want to make sure that your company’s “essence” comes through in the design as well. Kuno Creative’s John McTigue believes that this element is vital to having a successful redesign. He states, “It's always important to associate brand with content, otherwise there's no "stickiness" between who you are, what you do and the content you publish…there's an emotional, human component of every sale. The more you can appeal to the emotions of your target audience in design, the more likely they are to convert. A well placed graphic or video that does that can really help.”
Show the Design Who’s the Boss
We’re not all graphic designers or even have an eye for design. But, being a successful marketer means you have an instinct about or the intelligence to understand what will help create an effective website that will result in your targeted goals. So don’t let your fear of design boss keep you silent and don’t let the excitement of the process distract you. HubSpot Partner Tony Meister of NetSolutions Group says “..Effective calls to action and clear goals trump design. Don’t let the design step over your ultimate [goal] which is getting leads.”
Another HubSpot Partner, Jeffrey Abbott of AIM Integrated Marketing, supports this sentiment. “It can be easy to spend a lot of time thinking about the design and the effects, while not spending time through who your buyer personas are and accurately understanding…what the stages in the [the] sales process are in order to speak to each persona at each stage.”
Make Your Own Divine Redesign
Now that we’ve walked through the questions you need to ask yourself, SEO tips and finally design tricks, you’re ready to get started on your own website redesign. Make it effective, make it visually appealing, make it yours!
Photo Credit: valakirka
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