Businesses often feel the pressure to update or completely redesign their websites to stay competitive constantly.
But opting for a whole new website isn’t always the answer.
Thorough research and strategic enhancements can often yield better results without the time and expense of a full redesign for the sake of it. In this article, we’re delving into this idea and how our research process helps to identify key changes and recommendations and know when to commit to a whole new website, and when not to.
The value of research and strategic enhancements
The first step in any web improvement project should be a comprehensive understanding of client needs and behaviours.
Persona work and research are essential to ensure the design and functionality meet user needs, leading to a more intuitive and satisfying experience. They guide informed decision-making by prioritising features and design choices based on user behaviours and preferences.
Persona work is key to this process, enabling targeted marketing and consistent messaging, aligning with the target audience's expectations. To do this, you should put yourself in the shoes of the people using your website and understand their journeys to ensure features, functionality, tools, and navigation reflect these users' needs. Surveys, interviews, and usability tests provide qualitative data on user satisfaction, pain points, and suggestions for improvement. This feedback is crucial for understanding the user's perspective and tailoring the UI to meet their needs.
Alongside a comprehensive UX/UI review to delve into the standards and guidelines, ensuring accessibility, usability, and user-centric design, and make decisions based on these findings.
Websites should be dynamic, evolving entities that can continuously improve based on user feedback and analytics. This flexibility is often lost in the lengthy process of complete redesigning when research and personas are forgotten at the cost of focusing on the design only.
What we did for Sign Trade Supplies
Our research pinpointed several specific areas where Sign Trade Supplies could improve its existing website without a complete overhaul.
We conducted qualitative interviews to gather insights directly from their customers alongside other research and data gathering. This research revealed valuable information about what clients liked, what they found confusing, and what improvements they desired.
By putting ourselves in the users' shoes, we were able to determine what was working, what was hindering, and where the website could improve. This, alongside a UI/UX review, allowed us to make suggestions and recommendations to overhaul the website's navigation, structure, and user experience. Which we are in the process of doing.
Focusing on specific enhancements rather than a complete redesign to improve the user experience significantly.
By understanding your client’s needs, identifying pain points, and implementing specific enhancements, you can keep your website updated and effective, ensuring it works better for you, your business, and your users. Embrace the power of research and continuous improvement to keep your digital presence strong and competitive, and only seek out a new website when it is no longer growing and working alongside you and your business needs.
Want to learn more about how you can improve our website? Contact our team today.
