How to Prepare for A Website Redesign
What should you have ready to start a website redesign?
So you've decided to redesign your website. Whether you’ve already reached out to agencies already or have just made the decision to redesign, here are some tips to help you prepare.
While you may be working with an agency for a redesign, there are ways for you to prepare your business to make sure you’re ready. To help prepare for a website redesign there are a few things you can consider and gather in order to start the process more smoothly.
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1. Understand the Purpose of Your Redesign
When starting a website redesign it's important to understand why you're doing a redesign, we've covered this before in a blog previously to provide further context, but understanding the purpose behind a redesign can lead a lot of decisions.
Maybe your website feels outdated. Maybe your website is a couple of years old and does not match your company anymore. Maybe your website doesn't function as you wish it would. Or maybe, you’re starting a brand new business and need a new website to match. Whatever it may be, think through the purpose because it will guide your entire project.
2. Prepare Your Team
Whether it's just you working on your website or an entire team, it's important that you prepare your entire staff for the fact that you will be going through a redesign. Letting everyone know that you'll be going through a redesign can help gather input beforehand as well as prepare the team for a major project that will be going on in your organization. For those of you who will be involved in the project, it is important that they allocate hours to meetings, content creation, and other design decision practices.
You should view a website redesign as a major project occurring and should not be taken lightly. That being said, you should know that working with an agency will allow you to have a point person to be in contact with that will help guide you and your entire business throughout the process.
3. Gather Brand Materials & Examples
It will be extremely helpful for your designer to have any materials related to your brand when you begin your project. What are brand materials? Anything from your logo two colors, to fonts that you use will be helpful. Since you want your marketing to be cohesive it will be important that you use the same colors, logo, fonts, and any other guidance to design your website around.
It will also be helpful to have some websites in mind that you are team admirers. In our process, we ask our clients to share some websites that they like the look and feel of so that we can better understand the aesthetic and look you may be going for on your new website. Having these examples ready ahead of time will allow you to be able to understand the aspects that you like, as well as be prepared for our kickoff meeting.
4. Think About What You Want to Keep And Want to Change
When going through a website redesign it is important to remember that it is okay if there are parts of your website that you really like and would like to keep in the new design! For some businesses, there are parts of their website that they really enjoy while others want to redesign the entire thing. Whether it's photos you're using, the layout of a page, or content that you'd like to transfer over, it's good to be prepared to understand what will need to be redone in the redesign process.
5. Gather a Wishlist
When looking through other websites, as well as considering what does and does not work well on your current site will help you put together a wish list for your new website. A wish list is a great way to decide on the things that you'd like to add or change with your website redesign.
The best way to put together a wish list is to decide what are things you absolutely must have and then decide on the things that could be Phase 2 or scoped out at a later date. by putting together a wish list in this way you can share it with the agency work with and they can help you understand the time and cost of each of the items on your wishlist. If you have it in order of need to have versus things you would like to have, it will help you make time and budget decisions in the future.
Hopefully, you are choosing to work with an agency that can help guide you through the website redesign process. That being said, it never hurts to be prepared and having these items ready will help get your project off to a great start!
Ready to start a website redesign?
Fill out the form below and download our checklist to help you prepare for your redesign!