Web Site 101 – Redesigning a web site

So you have a web site but it’s out of date, old or needs a new look? Studio 3xd has helped many companies and individuals give their web sites a new look. If the site content is up to date, relevant and still viable then sometimes all a site needs is a facelift. Whatever your needs are, the first step is to determine if your site even needs a redesign and what you would like to accomplish through the process. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself every time you look at your web site:

1. Is my product, contact and informational content up to date?
2. Would a more contemporary look improve the way my site presents itself?
3. Does my site contain any or all of the following:
a. Glitches
b. Bugs
c. Grammatical or spelling errors
d. Broken or dead links
e. Missing images or broken image links
f. Site looks totally different in Nescape than it does in IE

Determine what your web site needs and what you want to accomplish
The first step is to determine what you would like to accomplish by redesigning your web site. You have to determine what content and information on your site needs to be updated. If your business has moved or your address has changed this type of information must be kept up to date for your customers and users to find you. One of the biggest turn-offs for users is a web site that is out of date. Your visitors will not return for another visit and your site will appear unkempt. It also can be applied to information that may have been relevant at one time but is no longer useful to visitors and may need to be brought up to date. So, those Windows 3.1 articles you have on your site may need to be brought up to date with updates related to more modern operating systems.

Giving your web site a fresh new look
This scenario is the most common. The Internet has evolved a lot over the years and styles change and the technology changes along with it. For example, when it first appeared, many users felt burdened to download the Flash plug-in and even had difficulties figuring out how to do so. Flash has grown up and has become a very exciting way to bring animation and life to your web pages as well as full blown applications. This philosophy applies to other technologies as well including streaming video, audio and other sorts of technologies other than straight HTML. With broadband becoming more prevalent across the globe, these types of technologies can really offer some new options for web site owners to implement some new and exciting features to their web sites. So, don’t be afraid to incorporate some new things, it may drive more traffic to your site and offer more value to your visitors.

Your web site needs to be fixed
Another scenario simply needs to be fixed up. Maybe you had your brother’s kid design your web site one weekend a couple years ago it did the job then but it needs some work. In the beginning, it really was a matter of function over form and nobody cared all that much about how web sites looked or even if there were some errors on the pages. Things have drastically changed. The web is still filled with plenty of poorly designed sites and pages with dead links and missing images but it also has plenty of beautifully well-designed web sites. The sites that take form and function into equal consideration are getting most of the attention. People tend to trust a site more if it’s well built and when people are surfing, shopping or doing research online, trust goes a long way. You have to consider that your web site may be the user’s first impression of you or your business. If the site appears to be a rushed, low budget sloppy job then they may go away from the experience thinking the same about you or your business, think about it…

Conclusion
Redesigning a web site may provide a variety of results including improving traffic numbers and return visitors, increasing sales, improving a companies overall image, providing more value to visitors and it may even grow back hair in those balding spots you have. The truth is it won’t grow your hair back but remember one thing… If your content sucks to begin with, don’t expect much. Content is still king of the Internet and you have to have something that people want to read, download, buy, sell or view. If you don’t have that then you might as well scan your business card and post the image on your home page. Concentrate on making your content relevant, viable and informative. Consider consulting a web development company like Studio 3xd to help you present your content in a manner that is easy for people understand and find.

So whatever your web site needs, you should keep in mind how important first impressions are on the Internet, after all, you only get about 10 seconds to make one.

Michael J. Klug
Technology Editor
3xdPress
Design: Studio3xd.com
Hosting: 3xdHosting