Update: Read the 10 étapes-de-conception-dun-site-web-en-agence and 50 questions to ask yourself before redesigning your website.
You've put in all the effort with your team to build your new site with your Web agency. You've worked days (and nights!) revising content, spawning new texts, adapting them, fine-tuning them and more. You've worked so hard, and you're so proud of yourselves. Yesterday was the long-awaited date: the launch of this beautiful, long Web site redesign project. Champagne to the whole team! You're right, you've earned it. However, we mustn't stop here. This is the common mistake to avoid after redesigning your website.
Un website is like a living being, once it's brought into the world, it has to evolve, grow, be constantly improved! That's how you'll get the maximum benefit for your business. In this article, we'll look at the 3 mistakes to avoid when redesigning a website.
1. Not adding new content
Your agency should have identified relevant new content to create based on the needs of your customers and prospects. It should also have identified essential content to keep, content to revamp for a better user experience on the new site, and so on. However, what is often forgotten is that a content strategy is a living, evolving thing. While your agency should have thought about content for your site redesign, it's always necessary to measure content performance, refine it and seize opportunities to create new content relevant to your customers.
Not only does Google love new content and will position your site better in search engines if you frequently generate new, relevant content, but you'll also be building your reputation as a go-to source with your targets.
2. Not tracking your website's performance
You have a performance measurement tool on your new website, such as Google Analytics, but are you really using it to its full potential?
Your agency should already have taken care to define with your team the right performance indicators to measure (KPIs) to ensure tangible results for your business. This way, you measure the right elements and avoid getting lost in the tide of data that Google Analytics can provide. Following on from this, 2 questions arise:
Are you measuring everything that's important and relevant to you?
The basic version of Google Analytics doesn't allow you to measure specific objectives or see the performance of certain critical elements for your business. This requires advanced configuration of objectives and events.
Are you using your site's performance to constantly improve it?
This step is crucial. Too often, we stop at observations and take no action in return to improve our website's performance. To make things easier, it's possible to have a performance dashboard gathering together all the performance indicators, even those coming from outside your website such as social media, your e-mail marketing campaigns, etc.
You find all the key indicators in the same place, so it's impossible to get lost. Once the dashboard has been created, it needs to be followed rigorously, at least monthly, and above all, actionable recommendations need to be made. Measuring performance is good, taking action is even better!
To remember: you have to measure the right things, but first and foremost, take action!
3. Not budgeting for the evolution and marketing of your website
You've planned a good chunk of your marketing budget for the redesign of your website this year. Once this investment is made, you plan to invest your marketing budget elsewhere than on your website because it's new. Beware: this is a mistake to avoid!
- Would you open a new store without promoting it to your targets?
- Would you invest a large amount of money in renovating your store once without planning any leasehold improvements or maintenance so that the experience is consistent and optimal for your customers over the next 3 to 4 years?
Probably not! It's exactly the same with your website. It's an investment, and like any good investment, you need to keep a close eye on it, constantly improve it and ensure it's performing well.
And what pitfalls would you like to share with people planning a website redesign?
*Thanks to Joannie Roy for contributing to this article