Redoing your website can be a daunting process, but a little bit of planning and expert advice can make the experience painless and dare I say: fun!

How often should a company think about redoing their website? The answer depends a lot on the type of business you're in. For example, websites for clothing retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch or Lacoste often go through several incarnations each year. Or maybe you're in a seasonal business where redoing your website is a good idea in the months leading up to peak season. No matter what business you're in, it's considered good practice to redo your website ever 18-24 months, why?

Design Trends

Just like fashion, cars and music, websites can quickly become dated if they're not refreshed. Think of how often a high end retail clothing store changes their window displays; maybe it's a little bit unreasonable to change your website that often, but it certainly makes you wonder why they do... because a new look drives business, and so does a new website! That's not to say you need to overhaul the entire look and feel of your site every 18 months. In fact, adding components to your site that allow you to contribute new content regularly can extend the shelf life of your website.

Search Engine Optimization

If your site doesn't meet basic W3C standards you won't have a fighting chance in Google. Even if you don't decide to completely redo your website, at the very least update your content routinely - having a CMS can definitely make this easier. Another great thing you can do is blog regularly, giving your company a voice that contributes valuable content and advice. Old code and design = poor search engine ranking, thereby eliminating the entire purpose for having a website - getting your company discovered!

Emerging New Media

Things such as the Facebook Like button and built-in Twitter feeds are relatively new, and who knows that the future will bring in terms of social media. Down the road your site may want to embrace new advancements and sometimes these new technologies will just seem out of place on a site that's a few years old. It doesn't end with social media; the addition of video to your site can also add value to your brand's voice and improve your SEO rank.

New Browser Capabilities

The cleaner your code, the better it will fair over time, if your code is written in xHTML there is a better chance that it will be compatible as the web evolves. Future editions of web browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome and the forthcoming Internet Explorer will inevitably come with enhanced features that an older website will not be able to harness. For example HTML5 and CSS3 which are still years away, a good time to redesign might be after these new technologies emerge.

Image Matters

The same way we might look at someone in a new car and think to ourselves "they must be doing well," people look at your website and think the same thing! For a bit of fun check out the Way Back Machine and find out the last time your competitor updated their website. When you decide it's time to redo your website, send us a note. We'll be happy to take the time to get to know your business and create a solution that better represents who you are and where you want to be.