How often should you redesign your website or app?

You may not want to hear this, but your website or app will never be 100% finished. Your aim should always be to try and give your users the best experience possible, which means that you need to be tweaking issues, updating your security, fixing bugs, and keeping your site performing at its best.

So how often should you redesign your website or app? This varies between the two and depends on the current performance of your website or app. A redesign is incredibly time-consuming and costly, so you can’t do this too frequently. But when should you do this redesign?

Let’s find out!

 

For Websites

When it comes to your website, there is no hard and fast rule as to when you should redesign it. There are a lot of factors to consider, but if everything is working nicely on your website and you’re getting the results that you’re looking for, then you should look to redesign your website every 2-3 years.

Many businesses are hesitant to make these changes, as they can be both costly and time-consuming. However, an up to date website is incredibly important to your customers. Simply put, if customers do not like the look of your website, they will be reluctant to spend their time – and money – on it. Outdated websites can also appear shady, and people are more cautious of internet scams than ever before.

When it comes to considering a redesign, there are a few things to consider:

• Is the website performing as it should in regard to your key metrics?
• Have you optimised and streamlined your user experience as much as possible?
• Is your website better or up to par with your competitors?
• Has your traffic been consistent over the last 3 months?
• Has there been a noticeable dip in traffic recently?

If you are getting negative answers to most of these questions, it may be time to consider a redesign of your site. If done correctly, it can only improve your business!

For Apps

Apps are very different from websites. When it comes to your app, you need continuous updates and fixes. However, when is a complete redesign needed?

An updated and sleek design will keep users on your app for extended periods of time. An outdated design will see people abandon your app and your reviews take a dive in the wrong direction. Apps are constantly evolving based on trends, so in an oversaturated market keeping your design fresh is essential to stay competitive.

If you take Instagram for example, it took them 10 years to do a complete overhaul of their design. However, this shouldn’t be taken as a guide on when you should schedule yours – they are one of the most popular apps out there so the typical rules don’t apply.

When it comes to a redesign, these are the factors that will indicate whether it’s the right time for you:

• Customer reviews – These are some of the biggest indicators of an app’s performance. Unlike a website, reviews are key to keep people downloading your app. If you are getting consistent, negative reviews from both new and long term and new users, take these into account. If reading these reviews indicates a redesign is the best fix, it may be time to call a designer.
• Brand update – If you’ve gone through a re-brand, then it’s time to ensure your app is in line with this change. Even if it’s a simple change in brand colours or an updated logo, these need to be reflected in your app.
• Conversions – If your conversions have been consistently low since your launch, or you’ve noticed a recent decline, this could be due to a poor design. You need to remedy this as soon as possible, otherwise, users will continue to abandon your app.
• Competitors – How do you look next to your competitors? If they’ve come out with a new design that is performing well, it may be worth considering a redesign if you’re falling behind.

 

Final Thoughts

We wish there was a simple answer to when you should redesign your app or website, but this is a complicated question. However, if you follow the tips in this post, you’ll be able to determine when the right time would be to consider a redesign.

The most important factor you need to consider is your users and customers. Without them, you don’t have a business, so you need to provide a platform that has their needs at heart. A smooth and efficient user experience will have people coming back to your website time and time again. Failure to deliver this will a sharp decrease in your customers and sales which can only harm your business.

Reach out to the team at Zudu today to see how we could help you.