Things to keep in mind when redesigning your site

Companies oftentimes redesign their websites.  Sometimes its driven by change in messaging, new strategies or a product release.  These few tips should help you ensure that your new site is an improvement on your old site.

1.  Understand your current site:  Make sure that you understand what works and what doesn’t.

2.  Test throughout the redesign process:  Testing some ideas throughout the redesign process on the existing site will give you a good indication of what will work and what won’t.

3.  Develop a launch plan:  Roll out the site to a small portion of your audience.  This will allow you to compare what is working and what can be improved on so you can address those issues immediately.  Make sure that you have a team waiting to address the opportunity areas quickly, then roll out the site.

4.  Build testing into the site launch:  There are things you should test as soon as the site launches.  Launch with those tests in place so that you can review those test results on day one.  This also allows you to continually test those key areas during your site’s life.

5.  Create an ongoing testing strategy:  Use behavioural targeting and testing tools to find out more about your audience.  Be sure to have a plan for testing that will carry on throughout your site’s life.

Visit ClickZ for more details on these tips.