Samui Design Ezine

Summer is here, and whilst most of us may have our heads firmly into the holiday spirit, now is the time to think about ‘spring cleaning’ your website and getting it fit for a new beginning in Autumn.

How long has it been since your website had its last makeover? A fresh new look can often help you retain website visitors. It shows that you are a progressive company and ensures that your website remains fresh and interesting.

However change for the sake of change is pointless. Before you decide to embark on a complete website overhaul, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I still like the look of my website? 
• Does the design still appeal to my target audience? 
• Does the design still suit the content, my company and the market I trade in? 
• Are there any fundamental flaws in my existing website, for example is it difficult to navigate, does it fit the latest web standards, is the ‘look and feel’ consistent throughout? 
• What do people say about the site? Maybe conduct a quick survey of friends, family members, colleagues and customers to see if they perceive your website as dated?

If you have completed your own evaluation of your website but are still unsure whether you should redesign or not, here’s a guide on ‘how often websites should be updated’ to help you in your decision process:

• 1 year- If your fiercest competitor continues to update their site at that pace. 
• 2 years- If you want to stay on top of the latest trends in web design but avoid confusing your most faithful visitors. 
• 3 years- If your site has had some degree of regular web updates in the meantime. 
• 5+- If you are absolutely sure that the design still suits the content, the company and the market that you trade in.