You Hate Your Business’s Website. Now What?

You tried to design your business’s website yourself and it just didn’t come out the way you had hoped. Maybe you’ve had the same site for years and it’s just not cutting it anymore. Either way, you’ve come to a realization: you HATE your business’s website. Now what do you do!? Never fear, you’ve got a few options in front of you. Here’s what I’d suggest:

Fight the urge to delete it

While this option may feel like the most freeing, it’s also the most damaging. Potential customers are going to try to click on your site and get an error message. They’ll assume you’ve gone out of business, and will move on to the competition. Yes, the thing may be an eyesore, but keep it up until you’ve got a new plan in place. Even if the site isn’t beautifully designed, it can still help you land business.

Zero in on what, exactly, you hate about the site

Before you decide on your next steps, it’s important to figure out what, specifically, is driving you crazy about the site. It may seem like the whole thing is a nightmare, when this isn’t actually the case. Perhaps you realize that it’s just the color scheme that you hate. Maybe it’s just the fact that it loads too slowly. If you updated the content, you might find yourself more satisfied. Before you dive into a website redesign project, take some time to figure out where your dissatisfaction stems from, and then go from there.

Find a website you love

Now that you’ve identified the traits that make you cringe when you visit your own website, it’s time to go out and find some inspiration. Spend plenty of time browsing websites (they don’t have to have anything to do with your industry) and find pages that you love. Pick up on color and design schemes that you find appealing, make note of tone and voice that you think works well when it comes to content, and check out how these businesses are using layout to create a pleasant user experience. All of this will shape your next website design project.

Set a timeline for yourself

When you realize that you hate your website, it can be tempting to want to put together a revamped version as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, rushing this job can leave you with a site that’s not built well. Over time, you may find that you’re even more displeased than you were when you began the project. Before you begin the process of creating a new website, set a timeline for yourself. Make it a point to have patience. You’ll have a new, visually appealing site up and running eventually, but this isn’t the kind of project you want to rush through as quickly as possible.

If you find yourself at a crossroads when it comes to your company’s website, I’m here to help. contact me for a consultation.