Are You Ready For A Site Refresh?

It's only been 2 years since your site was last designed.  Yet for some reason your site seems outdated.  It's old, especially considering the web changes every 6 months.  Well maybe it's time for a refresh to make sure you're up to date with today's layouts and designs.  But before you jump in head first, here's a few things to consider before any changes are made:

• Is your site converting like it could?
• Are users finding everything they need?  Is there something more you can give them?
• What are the main goals of your site and how can they be better achieved?

Once these questions are answered it can be much easier to determine what the site needs.  Sometimes it's just a matter of some small tweaks here and there.  Other times it may take a complete overhaul.  In either case here's some food for thought; the majority of the time you'll want to find a spot somewhere in the middle.

So let's find out what's happening on your site so we know what to do.  Create a usability test for your users to complete.  Test each of the top 10 tasks on the site and see how long it takes for random users to complete the tasks.  Have your mom, dad, spouse or children take the test.  If you have time and resources build a user-group from the street to test.  In any case, watch the user as they complete the tasks and don't help them. Once you've given the test to 20 or so people, average out the times for each task and put together notes on what they did per task.  If it takes over 2 minutes on any given task then you have a problem that needs to be fixed.  And if it takes over 1 minute on average then think about ways to make it easier.

The overriding goal of your website could be to provide current or potential customers with information, generate new leads, sell products or services or provide information to the public.  Once you decide it's time to refresh your site, keep in mind each of the goals you listed earlier to determine what and how the refresh needs to be.

Comments

• By Chad Gabriel on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
   

  Great article. Do you happen to have any guidelines for internally run usability testing?

   
• By Eric Wood on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
   

  Hey Chad, you can check out our post on Usability at http://bit.ly/krl2sk for some additional information.