Our website services, like many of our other offerings, focus on strategy and how things can be better for your business. In looking at your goals and existing online presence, a complete website redesign or rebuild may be necessary. This can be true if your website is several years old, hasn’t been maintained or updated, and/or overall just seems stale.

Get A Health Check

It isn’t always an apples-to-apples comparison, and it can be confusing to review and attempt to decide without some consultation. Because of this, we suggest getting in touch with us for a complimentary Health Check and letting the geeks at 4C look and provide some suggestions!

Get Started With A Health Check

When To Redesign or Rebuild A Website?

We look at several factors that ultimately make the decision to move forward with a website redesign or rebuild. Key factors include:

Technical breakdowns

If features are not working, or newer ones are available that have better benefits such as a content management system, like WordPress.

Poor or Misleading Content

Target markets can change, as can the staff within your company. This can be an issue if there is information that is out there that is no longer true, is completely different, does not account for SEO, or is totally inaccurate.

Not Easy to Navigate

One of the more frustrating things for a user is if they aren’t given guidance on where to go. Some home pages are landmines with too many things to look at and not enough clear direction or distinction within sections. If users are not directed as you intend, consider a website redesign.

If any of these key factors are challenges that you face, reach out to us for a health check and we will provide an honest opinion on your existing website, branding, strategic marketing, and online presence. Our clients have come to use this as a starting point to build a strategy around and we are happy to help kick-start the process!

How Often Is A Website Redesign or Rebuild Needed?

Websites are a utility for your company. Like some utilities, they are operational 24/7 without being ‘seen’ or actively reviewed. The lifespan of a website can vary based on the industry your company is competing in. Most businesses can get away with somewhere around 5-7 years if there is less change that is likely to happen.

However, many companies have changes in services (in growth or consolidation), staff turnover (retirement, succession, and/or leadership changes), and even unforeseen environmental impacts (like a pandemic). These can be unexpected shifts and changes that should be reflected in your website.

Not sure if a rebuild is right for your business?

Read more about our Health Check offering where we evaluate the current presentation of your company on the web, review your brand presence in the industry you compete in, and scratch the surface of what is seen from a technological perspective.

Start With A Health Check Now

What is needed for a website redesign?

If you are preparing to undergo a website rebuild and it has you stressed and unsure – you aren’t alone!

Don’t worry, we are here to help. Many organizations look at the task of revamping their website and updating their web presence as a means to boost sales, increase awareness, sell product, and stay competitive. Here are key items needed before just jumping right in.

Do Your Homework

Navigation & Pages

Looking at the existing website and doing an in-depth review is the best starting point. Organizations change over time and you want to make sure those are reflected in the website.

Are there pages that are obsolete or ones that do not support your current offerings?
Is the content relevant, or painfully out of date?
Does the navigation help drive a user to key pages/actions? Is it cumbersome and not intuitive to use?

These questions will help with creating a ‘site map’ of how you envision your website and will help to determine requirements. We often engage with clients and guide them through this process, as an outside perspective can clarify website composition.

Gather Your Requirements

Success Criteria

Determine what would make the website a success. Is it simply looking better than the competition? Is it better at attracting employees? Closing sales? It is likely a combination of several factors of importance. Having a list like this ready (and in order of perceived importance) is extremely helpful.

Technology, Tools, Plugins, and Features

What tools are needed within the website to make your life easier? Contact forms, customized project/portfolio sections, advanced filtering and searching, or relational capabilities for pages may help with the user flow. Each of these features will play a part in the budget.

Get Organized

Point of Contact

You may have heard the “too many cooks in one kitchen” analogy before. Having one person as the point of contact for the website helps streamline communication and can offset conflicting requests. Our clients have had success gathering internal comments and then working with 4C to make sense of them. Sometimes there are concerns or requests that may negatively impact the requirements.

Ensure Access

Many access issues cause delays or complete project stoppages. These can be factors such as who hosts the current website, do you ‘own’ your domain name (and can log into the domain registrar to make DNS changes), or lost WordPress website credentials. Getting all this information ready beforehand and ensuring access to all is a step in the right direction.

Marketing Investment

Set A Realistic Budget

As great as it would be to have a blank check, working with a budget is necessary for any business. The cost of a website can vary drastically based on what you want and need. Many customers do not walk into a McDonald’s and expect to get a Michelin star-winning fine dining experience, so be realistic!

If there is a long-term plan in place, work with us to appropriately determine a phased plan over the course of months or years to appropriately fit immediate needs and budget.

Research and Hire an Expert (We come highly recommended)!

This courting process is difficult and, unfortunately in some cases, you may just get the standard “free quote” from other firms, individuals, and/or agencies that are often canned and not customized. While we may not always be a good fit for an organization, we believe in providing value.

We offer website services that include WordPress website, web development, and complete website rebuilds or redesigns. It can be an intimidating process, but we would love to hear about your web project and how 4C can help make it a success!

Contact 4C