Website Design, Search Engine Optimization

This is the second of a three part series on how to redesign your web site.
Part one is Web Site Design and Now a Redesign!

The next steps to achieve the best web site redesign, we first will look at some of the reasons for updating a web site. Technology is always changing, the architecture is outdated and it is important that your web business is perceived differently than what was accepted before. As more people use the internet your visitors change throughout time and they become more sophisticated and have higher expectations for a web experience. Another problem I see more often is the amount of information on a site outgrows the architecture and the site no longer navigates effortlessly or intuitively. Then the competition becomes more sophisticated and you are losing market share along with your rankings on the search engines. These new web sites are now being perceived as the authority in your industry. It is also time to review what you want your visitors to do when they get to your site. Below are some additional points to consider for a web site redesign. These are growing pains that plague all of us.

Who are your visitors:

1. Who is your typical visitor? Describe them; what do they use the web for? Think about the demographics of each type of visitor. Are you attracting these visitors?
2. What type of action would you like your visitors to take? Do you want them to call, make a purchase, fill out a form . . .
3. What do you offer your visitors? (Discounts, customer service, great products)
4. How many people are currently visiting your web site? Are you paying for those visitors with a PPC program? How are your visitors finding you?
5. What key words would a visitor use to find your services? Do you use those targeted key words throughout your web site?

What is the perception of your business, both on and offline:

1. Think about your site and how a visitor will perceive your new site? Is this any different from your current site? Is this any different from how your business is viewed offline?
2. How is your business different from your competitors? Who are your competitors? List at least 5 URL�s of your competitors.
3. List the URL�s of web sites that you like for any reason. List any web sites that you think may be similar in size and have content that matches your future business needs. The URL�s that you list do not have to be the same type of business. The information gathered will communicate to your web site designer visually how you want to be perceived.

Content - how will your business be found:

1. Have you analyzed the targeted key words that a visitor would use to find your services?
2. Who will approve the new content? Are you going to use an outside provider to develop the content? Does this person have internet writing experience and will it contain your targeted key words to help market your web site?
3. Will the visuals (logos, images, charts, graphs) enhance your written content? Describe these elements and which will be used from the current web site. Will a graphic artist need to be employed to update your visuals?
4. Do you have a site map for the projected new site? How has this changed from the old site?

Now that we have analyzed the visitors, competition and content, next we will analyze what new technologies will fit your web site structure. How will visitors find your new site, what are your marketing tactics.

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