Let’s be honest. Redesigning your website can feel a lot like spring cleaning. You know it needs doing, but figuring out where to start is the tricky bit. The temptation is to dive into the visuals: splashy new colours, quirky fonts, slick animations. But a successful website redesign goes much deeper than just looking good.
Whether you’re a growing business, a public sector body or a professional services firm, here are three key things to nail before a single pixel is pushed.
Define what success actually looks like
It sounds obvious, but many redesigns start with vague goals like “we want it to look better.” That’s not a strategy.
Instead, ask yourself. What are we trying to achieve? Are you aiming to increase enquiries? Speed up key user journeys? Make information easier to find? Maybe it’s a combination. The sharper your goals, the more focused the project and the easier it’ll be to track real progress once the new site goes live.
A redesign is an investment, not a vanity project. So get clear on what success means right from the start.
Design for your users, not yourself
Here’s a common trap. Designing a site that you like. But unless you’re the one using it every day, your opinion isn’t the most important one.
Think about your audience. Clients, citizens, stakeholders, regulators. What frustrates them about your current site? What are they trying to achieve when they visit? If you’re not sure, now’s the time to find out.
Dig into your analytics. Ask for honest feedback. Use tools like heatmaps or session recordings. When decisions are driven by data, not just gut feelings, you end up with a site that’s genuinely useful. And that’s what builds trust online.
Need help with this bit? Our approach to UX optimisation is all about clarity and user focus.
Keep it simple. Seriously.
Clean design. Clear navigation. Pages with a purpose. These aren’t optional extras. They’re the backbone of an effective site.
We’ve seen too many projects fall into the trap of overcomplicating things. All those extra buttons, pop-ups and clever flourishes can create confusion rather than impact. Simplicity isn’t boring. It’s respectful. It shows you value your users’ time.
Every page on your site should do a job. If it doesn’t, it’s just noise.
Start your redesign the right way.
