Design Method
5 ways a customer-centric website redesign will transform your business
We have entered a new digital era and a mobile-first world where the role of the traditional website has evolved. As the digital transformation of everything gathers pace, businesses are unwittingly choosing if they will play the part of the disruptor or the disrupted.
Nobody would choose the latter, but what does this mean for the future of your digital presence and your website? The visible signs that you are in need of a website redesign are usually upon the realization that it’s slow, tired looking, not mobile friendly and most importantly of all, no longer converting.
It’s hard to imagine a world without the iPhone or iPad, but their dominance highlights just how much our world has changed in 10 years. Despite the many changes, the fundamentals of a website do remain largely the same. Increasing your list of clients, sales and online visibility should always be the end goal, but it’s how you achieve this goal that has evolved.
An aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use website across a myriad of devices is just the beginning. There are many other reasons why a redesign of your online presence will transform your business.
Focus on your customer, not your company message
One of the most significant changes we have seen is that a website is now more about your customers than your business. In a customer-centric world where personalization is becoming the new currency, your site needs to embrace this change and accept it’s not all about you.
There is an inconvenient truth that your customers do not care about all of your accolades, testimonials and a fantastic list of clients. None of this really matters unless you can solve their problem, address their burning need or educating them with your content.
Before beginning your website redesign, you should invest time to understand your existing client personas. A customer-centric website plays a crucial role in increasing and converting visitors into leads. Ultimately this leads to more sales that will transform your business.
Build trust with your audience
A new website sends out a message that you are successful and your business is experiencing growth. But, more importantly, it highlights your desire to be both vibrant and relevant to your evolving customer’s needs by putting their experience at the heart of what you do.
By also introducing content that tackles their current pain points, you can quickly change their perception and increase trust in your brand. Once again, this trust will lead to repeat visits, higher lead generation and increased sales.
Responsive design and optimised mobile experience
Mobile browsing has now overtaken laptop and desktop browsing. The good news is your visitors will be much more likely to add items to their cart from their smartphone. The bad news is that according to Google 53% of website visits are abandoned if a mobile site takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
When we are away from our home broadband connection, a slower connection is already responsible for increasing our frustrations. When also faced with poor mobile performance, the inability to find relevant information and unnecessary clicks, many will leave and vow never to return.
Amazon and their one-click basket have set the expectation level of your customers. Rather than making your visitors jump through unnecessary hoops or process, think about how you can shorten their purchase journey or checkout process. The result could dramatically increase sales.
Improved search visibility (SEO)
It’s easy to get carried away on to focus on the visual aspects of a website. But poor SEO will render your site invisible to your target audience. The good news is that a website redesign should also involve fixing many of the issues that you have accumulated over the years. Amending broken links, improving mobile responsiveness and updating content structure are all areas that will help improve your site’s performance on search engines.
The role of your website is to generate more leads, improve brand visibility and increase sales. A website redesign is a perfect opportunity to fix all of those niggles that have been preventing your sites relationship with the biggest search engines that drive traffic your way.
With the rise of digital assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, a redesign also represents an opportunity to investigate the impacts voice search will have on your business in the not so distant future.
Measure your success
You can only improve what you can measure. The ROI of any website redesign will be to measure the impact of the features that your customers care most about. By improving their online experience and ensuring your brand stands out from your competitors, you should be able to prove exactly how a website redesign has transformed the fortunes of your business.
A website should not just be about making it look more attractive; it’s an investment. Having the ability to measure the success of your venture and how it is visibly transforming business performance should not be underestimated.
Overall
Customer-centric web design is becoming increasingly crucial in winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of your customers. Understanding the motivations and needs of your online audience is a critical part of ensuring that your website and services meet their digital expectations.
A website shouldn’t be designed just for yourself and/or your company. By placing your customer at the center of your design, you can make your brand stand out from the crowd. The design might have changed, but the end goal of increasing your clients, sales and online visibility remains the same.