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Several factors can make a business’ website less effective than it might be, from cumbersome navigation to slow loading times, poor mobile performance and missing information. While a bad user interface or user experience may be the most troublesome problems, even a visual design that’s unappealing or doesn’t mesh well with your branding can be off-putting to your current and potential customers and make your website seem unprofessional.
If traffic to your site is declining or you’re not seeing as many conversions as you’d like, it’s a sure bet that your website needs an overhaul. But any such project must start with diagnosing the significant underlying issues. To ensure your new website meets your users’ needs and expectations and sets your business on the path to reaching its goals, review the strategies suggested below by the experts of Forbes Technology Council.
1. Quantify The Business Impact
The first step in treating bad Web design—or any bad design—is roughly quantifying what the impact is to the business. Is it a problem worth solving, or worth solving right away? The effort may entail hiring a new Web design firm or UX designer or just launching a new project with internal resources, but you need to know what the cost of doing nothing is before you decide to do something about it. – David Glazer, Kroll
2. Take A Look At The Analytics
Start to address problems when someone complains. This might be prospects or customers, but it is often your own sales team, because your website is your shop window. Further, monitor the analytics on your site to see drop-off rates, conversions and length of visitor sessions. The first step on the right path is to engage a good UX consultant to drive a redesign; don’t be fooled into thinking that you know what your customers want. – Murray Foxcroft, ProArch
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3. Start With A Comprehensive Audit
Start with a comprehensive audit, which should involve both UI/UX experts and SEO specialists.