A website redesign is a common occurrence. And a website without timely updates in terms of -- latest design elements, aesthetic lifts, or upgrade in the backend of the site -- won't survive.
Your client site is the ultimate arsenal to drive them customers, revenue, and perpetual brand identity. Your clients won't feel important to revamp their website until you convince them with a full-proof website redesign proposal and estimates. Not all clients will be the same, some may see redesigning as added costs, while some may not know how the whole process takes place from the ground up.
As a website redesign agency, it is your duty to educate your clients about the complete architecture of the design process. Otherwise, they would end up overestimating your efforts or won't feel satisfied with whatever you produce.
You don't know how to approach your clients' needs? Don't fret because in this following guide we will distill 6 things that you should teach your clients around website redesign project planning.
6 Things to Teach your Clients For Their Website Redesign Project Plan
Here are the few things you need to make your clients understand before they demand a website redesign RFP (request for proposal) or complete website redesign costs and estimates.
1 - When is the Correct Time to Redesign a Website?
The majority of your clients won't know the length of time around which they should resign their website. They being rational & conservative, feel redesign as an added expense. But it is your duty to narrate them exactly around how helpful redesigning is and how frequently they should have their website analyzed & treated for the redesigning process.
It's important because an outdated website impacts your clients' business goals and revenue cycle. The frameworks, design principles, visual hierarchy, placement, features & functionality of a website in any business industry keep on changing every year. Tell them how until yesterday moderately slow websites with a lot of elements were accepted, and now minimalistic websites with quick load times are a necessity.
Thus, you should mark them the importance of such an updated website and suggest them to come back for the revamp every 2-4 years. Make them realize how successful websites they see on the internet are always thriving on the latest technologies and web design trends to stay upbeat in the competition.
2 - What is the purpose of redesigning a website?
Before your clients make a call for handling over that website redesign proposal, make them highlight their end-goals and objectives to have their website redesigned. Make them identify that each business online is different and has different goals & aspirations to make and trade with websites.
An eCommerce website's purpose online is to increase global sales, a plumbing website in Alexandria aims to improve brand awareness and get active on user's nearby or local searches. Or for an NPO website, it would be to draw fundraising avenues for the marginalized sections.
Similarly, distilling them end-goals will help them and you equally. You will have a fair idea of what to put in and your clients would know what exact end-product to expect from your team.
3 - Features to Consider for Website Redesign Project Plan
Don't assume your clients know everything. Most of them are not familiar with the standard features they should incorporate while redesigning their website. They might not know what to put in and expect from website redesign agencies like you. So, help them realize a few critical features that need addition or conditioning for better UX.
1. Smart Forms
Make them familiar with the pre-populated smart forms that take the conversion to the next level. Tell them how incorporating smart forms for the product inquiry or customer information lead generation forms can help them complete the sales cycle. Introduce and incorporate variously styled and smartly designed business forms to help with your clients' sales & revenue generation.
2. Advanced site search feature
If your clients don't have internal search features and that too a smart one, do inform them and ask them to have it. Tell them how an autofill internal search feature can enhance the searchability and usability of their website. It is much better & usable than a vast hierarchical menu heading lying with a lot of time taking sub-section. Educate and incorporate user-responsive and quick internal search features to your clients' business site.
3. Testimonies & past customer reviews
"95% of customers read past clients or customers reviews of digital businesses to make their purchase happen."
Make them understand the value of social proofing, and how it helps to close the sales funnel with the best returns. Suggest the designs and ways around customer reviews to incorporate into the website. Make them familiar about how reviews can help them:
Generate heavy website ranking & traffic
Build loyal engagement with clients
Get more query and conversions at a faster rate
4. Add wishlist & favorite product section
"Wishlists bring the open rate by 80% & ensure 5 to 10 times higher return on purchases."
Suggest your clients incorporate navigable and easy to use wishlist & favorite product sections. Make them understand how whilst the list acts as a reference point for users to come back and definitely shop some other time.
5. Related or Best selling items section
Make your clients understand how a unique section as "you might like this" or "best selling items" can pique the interests of their customers & create a positive impact on their buying patterns. Ask them to introduce such a section with beautiful imagery, background design, and catchy captions.
6. FAQ page
An FAQ page with the most searched questions by your clients' target audience will help them form more robust credibility, recognition, and outreach. Ask them to have a dedicated section framed with exceptional design and most asked questions onto the site.
7. Add social content & link buttons
Make your clients understand how adding social media buttons and user-generated content on their site can add more depth to their brand value. Social media platforms are the best arsenal to grow your client's brand value and social reach. So make them aware of the latest practices and trends to add social media content & links over their business website.
8. Tailored Checkout page or process
Make your clients understand and evaluate their existing checkout process. If it's too lengthy and difficult to navigate, suggest them to go for a fast and single page checkout process.
4 - Migrate or Optimize the old content to Revamped Web
Look within your client's website and suggest them to either overhaul their new web design with fresh content or the same content, by migrating it from the old site. Ask them to analyze the landing pages that are high ranking and suggest them to migrate them as it is, as refreshing them can mess with existing keyword ranking.
If writing the new content for certain pages, ask them to have them optimized in terms of title, description, header with more competent keywords, and contemporary content tone.
Let your clients understand how optimizing content helps highly with ranking, traffic generation, and ultimate conversions.
5 Accessibility of web over mobile should be a priority
"Almost 50% of the online traffic of any business is covered from mobile interfaces".
Make your clients understand how mobile responsive websites are pivotal for their businesses cutting edge growth. Make them realize how much their potential traffic is tapping on their mobile screens.
If their websites aren't mobile-friendly, ask them to have their website built compatible with mobile interfaces, otherwise, they could lose big on revenue generation. Tell them how mobile responsive websites do best in search engine ranking, website traffic, and revenue generation.
6 - Results are dependent on what all is put into the website redesign project plan
The clients need to be very particular about what exactly they need as an end-product. They should be able to guide you end-to-end on how to proceed with their requirements. Explain to them what you will put into the funnel of website creation will decide the end-product.
Make them specifically aware of your diverse website redesign costs, timeline, and feature & functionally you have to offer. Some clients have no clue about how different cost & time windows can create an impact on their website's end appearance. Make them understand how much budget, time to market, exceptional features they should anticipate to get a wow end-website for disposal.
And also explain how a more broad budget, timeline allocation, and unparalleled features can help them redefine their website usability and popularity.
Have everything clearly decided and mentioned in the website redesign proposal. Share it with the clients to get their approval before you start the web redesign project planning & process.
Wrapping Up on 6 Things Your Clients Need to Know About Website Redesigning!
This was it, a complete guide on 6 crucial things you need to make your clients know before they hand over their website redesign RFP or website redesign costs expectations.
Don't assume your clients are aware. They might not be well-versed with the whole idea of the web redesigning process. As a redesigning for website agency, it is your duty to expand the thinking horizons of your clients, so that:
They are actively willing to invest in your website redesign proposal
They feel safe and valued about their investments
They don't over expect or you don't underdeliver
Website designing is an indispensable routine, every 2-3 years for every business website online. So, make sure you and your clients are in terms of "what to expect" and "what to get as the end result".
