Redesigning your website can feel like a daunting task, especially if you're using a platform like Wix. However, with the right approach, you can transform your site into a more user-friendly, visually appealing, and effective tool for achieving your goals. Whether you're looking to update the look of your site, improve its functionality, or optimise it for better performance, this guide will provide you with the top tips for a smooth Wix website redesign.
1. Define Your Goals
Before diving into the redesign process, it's crucial to define your goals. What are you hoping to achieve with this redesign? Here are some common objectives:
Improve User Experience (UX): Make your site more intuitive and enjoyable to use.
Enhance Visual Appeal: Update the design to be more modern and attractive.
Boost Performance: Optimise your site for faster load times and better overall performance.
Increase Conversions: Design your site to better guide visitors towards taking desired actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
Optimise for SEO: Improve your site's visibility in search engine results.
Clearly defining your goals will help guide your decisions throughout the redesign process.
2. Analyse Your Current Website
Take a close look at your current website to understand what’s working and what’s not. Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on user behaviour, such as which pages are most visited and where visitors are dropping off. Pay attention to metrics like:
Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
Average Session Duration: The average amount of time visitors spend on your site.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who complete a desired action.
Additionally, gather feedback from users to understand their pain points and preferences. This information will be invaluable in informing your redesign decisions.
3. Research Competitor Websites
Analysing competitor websites can provide insights into industry trends and help you identify areas for improvement on your own site. Look at the following aspects of competitor sites:
Design: Note the layout, colour schemes, and overall aesthetic.
Functionality:** Examine the features and tools they use to enhance user experience.
Content: Analyse the type and quality of content they offer.
Identify what competitors are doing well and consider how you can incorporate similar elements into your redesign, while also finding ways to differentiate your site.
4. Create a Sitemap and Wireframes
Before you start designing, create a sitemap and wireframes to plan the structure and layout of your new site.
Sitemap: A visual representation of the pages on your website and how they are connected. This helps ensure a logical flow and easy navigation.
Wireframes: Basic sketches of each page’s layout. These don’t need to be detailed but should include key elements like headers, footers, and main content areas.
These tools will serve as a blueprint for your redesign, helping you stay organised and focused.
5. Choose a Suitable Wix Template
Wix offers a wide range of templates designed for various industries and purposes. When selecting a template, consider the following:
Relevance: Choose a template that aligns with your industry and goals.
Customisation: Ensure the template is flexible and easy to customise.
Mobile Responsiveness: Select a template that looks good and functions well on all devices.
Remember, the template you choose will serve as the foundation for your redesign, so take your time to find one that meets your needs.
6. Optimise for Mobile
With an increasing number of users accessing websites from mobile devices, it's essential to ensure your site is mobile-friendly. Wix provides tools to help you optimise your site for mobile, including:
Mobile Editor: Use Wix’s mobile editor to customise the mobile version of your site separately from the desktop version.
Responsive Design: Choose a responsive template that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.
Mobile Optimisation: Ensure elements like text, images, and buttons are appropriately sized and positioned for mobile users.
A mobile-optimised site not only improves user experience but also boosts your SEO, as search engines favour mobile-friendly sites.
7. Enhance User Experience (UX)
A key goal of any redesign should be to enhance the user experience. Here are some tips to achieve this:
Simplify Navigation: Use clear, intuitive menus and a logical page structure.
Improve Load Times: Optimise images, use efficient coding practices, and leverage Wix’s built-in performance tools to ensure fast load times.
Use Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Guide users towards desired actions with prominent, easy-to-understand CTAs.
Ensure Accessibility: Design your site to be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, by following best practices and standards.
Improving UX will make your site more enjoyable to use and help you achieve your goals more effectively.
8. Focus on Content
Content is a critical component of any website. During your redesign, take the opportunity to update and improve your content. Consider the following:
Quality: Ensure your content is well-written, informative, and engaging.
Relevance: Update outdated information and ensure all content aligns with your current goals.
SEO: Optimise your content for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt text for images.
Well-crafted content will keep visitors engaged and improve your site’s search engine rankings.
9. Integrate SEO Best Practices
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is crucial for driving traffic to your site. During your redesign, make sure to integrate SEO best practices, such as:
Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords for your industry and incorporate them naturally into your content.
Meta Tags: Use descriptive, keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions for each page.
Alt Text: Add alt text to images to help search engines understand their content.
Internal Linking: Create a logical internal linking structure to help search engines crawl your site more effectively.
URL Structure: Use clear, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords.
Following these best practices will improve your site’s visibility in search engine results.
10. Leverage Wix's Built-In Tools
Wix offers a variety of built-in tools and features that can enhance your redesign process and improve your site’s functionality. Some useful tools include:
Wix App Market: Access a wide range of apps to add functionality to your site, such as contact forms, chatbots, and social media integrations.
SEO Wiz: Use Wix’s SEO Wiz to get personalised recommendations for improving your site’s SEO.
Analytics: Utilise Wix’s analytics tools to monitor your site’s performance and gather insights into user behaviour.
Leveraging these tools can save you time and help you create a more effective website.
11. Test and Iterate
Before launching your redesigned site, it’s essential to test it thoroughly. Check for issues such as broken links, missing images, and formatting errors. Here are some steps to ensure a smooth launch:
User Testing: Have real users navigate your site and provide feedback on their experience.
A/B Testing: Test different versions of pages to see which performs better.
Performance Testing: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your site’s load times and performance.
Based on the feedback and test results, make necessary adjustments to improve your site before going live.
12. Plan for a Smooth Launch
A successful website launch requires careful planning. Here are some tips to ensure a smooth transition:
Backup Your Old Site: Before making any changes, back up your current site to avoid data loss.
Set a Launch Date: Choose a launch date and time when traffic is typically lower to minimise disruption.
Notify Users: Inform your audience about the upcoming changes and what to expect.
Monitor Performance: After launching, closely monitor your site’s performance and address any issues that arise.
By planning ahead, you can minimise downtime and ensure a seamless transition to your new site.
13. Promote Your Redesigned Site
Once your new site is live, it’s time to promote it. Here are some effective strategies:
Email Marketing: Send an announcement to your email subscribers about the new site.
Social Media: Share the news on your social media channels and encourage your followers to check out the new design.
Content Marketing: Publish blog posts or articles highlighting the new features and improvements.
Paid Advertising: Consider using paid advertising to drive traffic to your redesigned site.
Promoting your new site will help you attract visitors and achieve your goals.
14. Continually Improve
A website redesign is not a one-time project. Continually monitor your site’s performance and user feedback to identify areas for improvement. Regularly update your content, optimise for SEO, and make necessary adjustments to ensure your site remains effective and up-to-date.
Next Steps
Redesigning your Wix website can be a rewarding process that leads to significant improvements in user experience, performance, and overall effectiveness. By following these top tips, you can ensure a smooth and successful redesign that helps you achieve your goals and create a better online presence. Remember to define your goals, analyse your current site, research competitors, create a sitemap and wireframes, choose a suitable template, optimise for mobile, enhance user experience, focus on content, integrate SEO best practices, leverage Wix’s built-in tools, test and iterate, plan for a smooth launch, promote your redesigned site, and continually improve. With careful planning and execution, your redesigned site will be a powerful tool for achieving success online.
If you need help optimising your website, we can help, book a discovery call with Rory by clicking below.