Navigating the Website Redesign Cost Maze for Optimal Results

Introduction

Let’s get this straight: each company, whether startup or enterprise-level, wants and needs a website that showcases its expertise and attitude toward work. A company’s online presence has a major influence on its success. Ideally, and at the very least, such a website needs to have a simple and easy-to-navigate menu with services, cases, prices, and, most importantly, an “About Us” page. Otherwise, your customers won’t be able to understand if you’re a great match for their needs. Data shows it only takes users 0.05 seconds to form an opinion about a website, meaning you won’t have a second chance to impress your potential customers. So, where are we headed with this?

An effective website design is one of the best things you can do for your business growth. But what can you do if your website was designed and built years ago? Chances are, you need to redesign it to meet the needs of a modern consumer who, by the way,  won’t wait more than two seconds for a page to load. 

Long story short, this article is for those who are considering redesigning their websites but feel like it’s a tough nut to crack. Here we’ll provide you with an average cost of website redesign, teach you how to choose a reliable partner depending on your needs, and many more. 

What is a Website Redesign

A website redesign is a process of changing the code, structure, content, and visuals of your website. Unlike website refresh that involves only minor changes, redesign takes quite some time, but let’s discuss everything in order. 

Understanding the Need for a Website Redesign

Now, how do you know it’s time for a website redesign? Although signs may vary, websites that need it generally have several things in common:

Your website is not optimized for mobile devices. 

Did you know that back in 2015, Google changed the way mobile-friendly websites are ranked? Since then, websites without a mobile-optimized version have been ranked lower than those with. If your business is one of them, it’s high time you start your redesign journey. 

Your website has a high bounce rate. 

A “bounce” is something that happens when a visitor leaves your website after viewing only one page (single-page session). Such a lack of interest can usually have various reasons — either visitors are pushed away by your site’s design and layout or navigation. Frankly, high bounce rates are major red flags, so if your analysis shows 55% and higher, it’s probably high time you think about redesigning. 

It is too slow.

If you think your customers will wait more than a minute for your website to load, think again. One in four visitors will leave a page if it takes more than 4 seconds for it to load. More than that, about 64% of people who are dissatisfied with their website experience will go shopping elsewhere. We could drown you in more statistics, but you catch our drift. It’s super crucial to ensure one thing responsible for your internet presence operates well and loads fast. If not, you know what to do. 

Broken links and zero-to-no SEO optimization. 

Broken links inevitably lead to poor user experience, while SEO optimization significantly improves your chances of getting noticed. If you’re getting noticed, there’s more traffic. Once there’s more traffic, your sales will go up. 

Loads of outdated content. 

Content is a king, but outdated content makes a king vulnerable. Imagine if you’re visiting a website with service pages filled with inaccurate pricing or outdated product information. What’s your impression of the brand? It’s nowhere near positive. Redesign and content updates often go hand-in-hand, so if your website’s pages eagerly await the touch of a skilled content artisan, you might as well begin your redesign journey. 

Your website is hard to navigate. 

Some sites lack logic behind what goes where which decreases your chances of selling your product or service. In fact, a study conducted by Clutch claims that 94% of website visitors believe easy navigation is the single most important factor that decides whether they stay or leave.

It has an outdated design.

The tech world is evolving at the speed of light, and new practices and approaches appear almost every day. If it’s been ages since your last website redesign took place, the time has probably come.

Types of Website Redesigns

Before starting this intricate, yet at times challenging journey, it’s important to understand what degree of changes your website actually needs. No matter if you need a slight refresh of an existing color scheme to match your brand or a complete overhaul, let’s first tackle the basics.

Cosmetic Redesign

This type is the easiest one. It requires the least time and money investment. In a nutshell, if you choose a cosmetic redesign, you’ll likely update a color scheme and fonts for a more attractive image. Think of this type of redesign as a chance to make it more visually appealing and aligned with your brand identity.

Functional Redesign

Unlike the cosmetic type, functional redesign involves way more changes to the overall functionality and the underlying structure and interactive elements. You know it’s time to consider these changes if they provide a poor customer experience, extended loading times, inefficient mobile versions, security concerns, and loads of other indicators. By the way, when you find a trustworthy and experienced design studio to work on your project, they’ll help you understand what kind of redesign you need.

Full-scale Overhaul

In some cases, you don’t need a redesign; instead, you need a full transformation of your website. A common mistake in this situation would be viewing this type of redesign as an improvement of the current website, but it goes beyond this. Think of it as creating something completely new, more efficient, appealing, responsive, and modern. A full-scale overhaul can take up to six months or more if you have a complex project to complete. 

DIY vs. Professional Redesign

Whatever people say, it’s usually about money. No matter how diverse your budget is, if there’s a chance to save some costs, you’ll likely do so. But when it comes to website redesign, it’s not always a good idea. Sure, you can utilize tools for a DIY redesign, but keep in mind that it requires significant time and investment without guaranteeing quality. In case you don’t have any prior experience using these tools, you might consider working with a freelancer to guide you along the way. Also, use a template — although it won’t give you full customization freedom, it’ll make your life much easier. But, again, if there’s an opportunity to hire an agency with years of experience and a diverse portfolio — go for it. Because there’s a significant difference between working with a website redesign company and freelancers — the former employs strategy when building your website. 

This brings us to the second, and frankly, more reliable option. A professional studio takes your website redesign to a completely new level, utilizing its research capabilities, creating an action plan for an improved UX, and providing strict deadlines. As a result, you won’t only get a plan but also an end-to-end execution with fully dedicated designers, developers, and a project manager. Sure, the team composition can depend on your project size and complexity, but one thing remains unchanged — your complete assurance of the project’s quality.

Website Redesign Cost: What You Need to Know

We’ve already mentioned that working with a design studio will require more cost investments, but the key question is the following — what determines the cost? Below, we’ll explain what specific factors contribute to the pricing of your website redesign.

Number of pages

Your website’s scale is the primary factor that determines how much it will cost you to make it easy on the eye. Needless to say, more complex websites with loads of pages and complex menus require more resources, planning, and people to ensure every little detail, the whole kit, and caboodle operate well. 

Design Complexity

Unique layouts, custom graphics, and animations will take more time, so you’ll have to pay more. But don’t worry. An experienced agency will take your opinion into account and advise you on the best design elements that will reflect your branding. Sometimes less is more, so if you carefully choose an agency, they’ll balance things out. 

Project’s Urgency

In case of super tight deadlines, a design studio will have to utilize more people, attention, and resources to complete the project. The team’s longer working hours will have to be compensated. 

Team’s Experience

Prioritizing the quality and responsiveness of your website automatically comes with higher prices. A newbie won’t be able to recognize all pitfalls and advise you on the best approaches, so be prepared to pay extra for a team with a wealth of successfully executed projects under their belt. But, as is known, the miser pays twice, so paying for the expertise is worth it. 

eCommerce Functions

Sure, you want an appealing website, but you also need your online store to operate well. Things like secure payment getaways, a user-friendly shopping cart, user accounts, order tracking, and security features all take time and a wealth of experience. By investing in these things you automatically invest in a positive customer experience, which can be a decisive factor when outcompeting other stores.

Hidden Costs and Contingencies

• Third-party integration. Premium plugins, stock photos, and other external elements, while adding immense value, also make the project more expensive. For example, premium plugins work well for SEO optimization and provide more diverse customization options. But remember — everything good comes at a price, so many premium plugins come at a licensing or subscription fee. 
• The choice of CMS. Your website’s content quality is more important than you think. It does not only convey your business stance, values, and priorities but also demonstrates if your team is detail-oriented. That being said, your choice of CMS will determine how easily you can manage and update content. Plus, if there’s a need to transfer to a different CMS, you will also have to transfer all the content, configurations, and data, meaning it will require more investments. Finally, if you choose a proprietary CMS, be prepared to pay licensing fees.
• Client involvement. Sometimes business owners are the biggest contingencies that grow the magnitude of website redesign costs. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with providing honest feedback about this or that element. After all, you’re not just paying for quality, you want the website to represent you and appeal to you. However, if you want to make any changes at the testing stage, or demand unnecessary iterations, be ready to pay more.

Choosing the Right Professionals

Any new endeavor you start requires strategy. Whether it’s finding a website redesign or an SMM studio, you’ll have to spend some time planning and researching people who will guarantee quality for your money. Thus, here’s a brief step-by-step guide to support you along the way.

Define your goals and budget

In most cases, a website redesign solves one critical issue — poor customer experience. This problem is the root cause for all others like high bounce rates and little to no sales. Once you’ve established that these issues are sabotaging your business, it’s time you start drafting your budget. You want to make sure not to spend too much, because a newly redesigned website is just the first step — digital advertising campaigns, content and email marketing, PR campaigns, paid sponsorships, and customer loyalty programs — all these things will dig into your pocket a bit. However, even with a tight budget, a reputable website redesign company can still accommodate your financial constraints.

Conduct research and shortlist potential partners

Start with a simple Google search to identify your local agencies. Once you visit some websites, review clients’ feedback on resources like Clutch, and review the companies’ portfolios, you’ll likely have a clear picture of what you like and dislike about each of them. 

Evaluate expertise and styles

A great website redesign company will have its own unique style. Create a list of several companies you identify with the most. Go through their case studies, and pay specific attention to projects similar to your own. Make sure the companies also provide development and SEO services. 

Contact the agencies and request proposals

This is one of the most important steps. The way agencies treat their prospects even before receiving their request is very telling. For example, if you’re asking the sales team about the services without explicitly stating your request, and you have already encountered rudeness, that can be a sign of major communication problems in the future. First impressions matter, so trust your gut and choose those who are helpful and polite. Also, request proposals that include time and cost estimates, along with the scope of work. 

Pay attention to contracts and discuss support services

We recommend you have a reliable lawyer who can help identify and address any potential legal pitfalls that may escape your notice. Also, make sure your agency of choice guarantees post-launch maintenance for ongoing assistance.

Case Studies

To show you the importance of a successful website redesign, here are several successful brands that, just like you, decided that they need to redesign their website to stay true to themselves while making sure their customers stay loyal.

GitHub

GitHub, an international leader offering a cloud-based Git repository, has recently undergone a major website redesign, making overall functionality and user experience smoother and more visually appealing. By utilizing strategy, they kept the old things and made them easier to navigate. They improved wayfinding by adding breadcrumbs that reflect the information architecture of each page. This time, they also focused on easy navigation across all devices, and remaking the website with people with disabilities in mind. In particular, developers, architects, and designers who either choose not to use a mouse or are unable to use one now have the capability to navigate exclusively through keyboard inputs.

Another interesting thing they added is that it is designed for people with vision impairments. From now on, those users who use screen readers will also have a seamless experience when reading through code. This new accessibility endeavor is one of many features that exemplify how impactful your website redesign can be. 

Slack

The latest Slack website update focused on a more intuitive layout. The company has a single-view page called “Home”, where users can see everything that’s important for them. Plus, those users who have an Enterprise Grid organization now have the ability to view channels from every workspace, without having to toggle back and forth. Essentially, here’s what has been changed:

• a redesigned view of all direct messages;
• a single place for everything that requires attention: notifications, mentions, threads, and reactions;
• you can now stash conversations that you want to get back later;
• users now have quick access to productivity-boosting tools like canvas and workflows. 

Every little change has been made with the user in mind. In total, the Slack team has made more than 100 improvements, everything to make the navigation easier and free up users’ time for meaningful work. If you want to read more about the website redesign case study, access the full information here.

Summary

You wouldn’t want to jeopardize your website’s credibility, especially since 75% of it is attributed to design. Looking for a reliable website redesign service provider is often a toil and moil. Why look elsewhere? Phenomenon studio is an expert in everything related to design and development. We provide our customers with a variety of services for every taste and color. Get in touch with us for appealing visuals and a guaranteed success of your website.