A website renovation can be a nerve-wracking, but necessary, choice. This is especially true if your website isn’t using modern search engine optimization guidelines or has an outdated interface. The face of modern online marketing shows that here’s a strong emphasis on satisfying a particular set of rules and standards to be seen online through search engines. If you’re ready to take the steps necessary to complete a website renovation, here’s what you should know:

Step 1: Look at Your Site and Compare It to Competitors

If there is a competitor in your area that is consistently experiencing more web traffic than you are, a great place to start is by going to their site and figuring out what they are doing that you are not. This could be anything from thoughtful blog content to more interesting use of image and color. Looking at others’ success for guidance can create a starting point that reduces the stress of creating a plan from scratch.

Step 2: Review Your Data and Define Your Audience

Using tools that analyze your website traffic can help you understand who is visiting your website. Understanding your audience is imperative to website success. If you don’t have a goal in mind, in regards to who you’re marketing to, there’s really not a point in renovating your website. If you know who you’re trying to appeal to, you can create a site that is going to draw that demographic in.

Step 3: Define Your Budget and Timeline

Create a timeline for when you’d like to get your new website off the ground. This also creates an opportunity for celebration and advertising. Share with your social media followers that your site is currently going through renovations and that signing up for update emails nets them a 20% coupon for relaunch day. You’ll also need to determine how much you’re willing to spend to get the work done. It’s likely that you’ll need to hire a web developer to work on the site, unless you are confident in your skills as a designer and developer.

Step 4: Get In Touch with a Developer

Once you’ve decided on your budget, you need to find a web developer that is going to do what you need within your budget. If you are having trouble to finding a developer to work within your budget, you’ll need to either up your budget or concede some of your requirements. Get in touch with Digital Solutions to hear their New Year’s deals for new and renovated websites!