A frequent dilemma faced by CMOs and Heads of Marketing is deciding between a full website redesign or focusing on incremental optimisation. Both approaches can significantly impact your brand’s online presence, so understanding which one aligns best with your business needs is crucial. Let’s explore the scenarios where each approach might be more suitable, helping you make an informed decision.
When a Website Redesign is Necessary
A full website redesign is a substantial investment of time and brand resources, but it can be the right choice in certain circumstances. Here are cases where a redesign might be your best option:
Supporting a Full Rebrand
When your business is undergoing a complete rebrand, it’s essential that your website reflects the new identity. A redesign ensures that your website aligns with your updated brand guidelines, delivering a consistent experience across all touchpoints. This consistency helps reinforce brand recognition and trust among your audience.
Major Template or Flow Issues and Inconsistency
If your website suffers from significant template or flow issues—such as inconsistent and disjointed design elements, clunky navigation or user flows or non-responsive layouts with gimmicky interactions—a redesign can tackle these problems head-on, enabling you to create a more cohesive design. Design consistency throughout the website experience is key to maintaining a professional image, ensuring users can navigate and engage effortlessly.
Outdated Design Styles Impacting User Trust
Design styles evolve over time, and if your website’s look and feel are stuck in the past, it can negatively impact user trust. Busy, multi-column layouts or flashing banners are examples of styles that are common in the past but are no longer prefered by users. Without keeping up with the times, your website can potentially drive users away. A redesign in this case can modernise the site look-and-feel, improving both its aesthetics and functionality.
Incompatibility with New Technologies
Sometimes, a redesign is necessary to integrate new technologies, or functionalities that your current site can’t support. Whether it’s adding eCommerce capabilities, enhancing site security, or optimising for voice search, a redesign can ensure your site is equipped to handle the latest digital trends.
When Incremental Optimisation is More Beneficial
Incremental optimisation involves making ongoing data-informed improvements to your website over time. It might be the better route for the following scenarios:
Website is Performing Well, Meaning Overhaul Risks Are High
If your website is already delivering solid results, a full overhaul could be risky. Incremental optimisation allows you to make targeted improvements without the potential disruptions that a complete redesign might cause. This approach minimises the risk of losing what’s already working well. Specifically, if your website already meets baseline UX best practices, rather than starting from scratch, you can build on what’s currently working by conducting additional research and testing to uncover areas for improvement.
Agility, Cost-Effectiveness, and Resource Constraints
Incremental optimisation is often more agile and cost-effective. It allows you to address specific issues as they arise, rather than investing a large sum upfront. This is particularly beneficial if you’re working with limited resources or time, as it doesn’t require the extensive planning and alignment needed for a full redesign.
Continuous Improvement Catering for User Behaviour Changes
With incremental optimisation, you can focus on continuous improvement rather than a one-time overhaul. This approach lets you test, learn, and refine your website based on user data and behaviours, ensuring that your website evolves with your audience’s needs and preferences. It’s a more manageable way to stay competitive and responsive to changes in the market.
Reduced Risk and Faster ROI
Incremental changes typically carry less risk from resources to performance, and can deliver faster returns on investment (ROI). By making data-driven adjustments, you can validate the impact of the changes on key metrics, see immediate improvements upon implementation, which can be reinvested into further optimisation efforts. This iterative process allows for continuous growth without the potential setbacks of a full redesign.
Final Words
Deciding between a website redesign and incremental optimisation depends on your specific circumstances, goals, and resources. A redesign can be powerful when aligned with a rebrand or when major issues need to be addressed, but it comes with higher risks and costs. On the other hand, incremental optimisation is a more flexible, cost-effective approach that allows for continuous improvement, making it ideal for websites that are already performing well or when resources are limited.
Both strategies have their merits, and the key is understanding which approach aligns best with your business objectives. Whether you’re leaning towards a redesign or incremental optimisation, we’re here to help guide you through the process and ensure you make the best decision for your brand’s future.
