Bloggers It is Time To Redesign

February 16, 2011 Posted by Gary Web Design 29 Comments

Redesigning your website should be a matter of personal choice unless technology forces you to. Is it really time for you to redesign your website or should you redesign at all? You may argue that your website is great so why should redesign it. There is an old saying that goes that if it is not broken then why fixes it true but how do you decide when your blog or website is broken and need redesigning? For me i am never satisfied with my blog design i always believe that I can add something extra to it. You could argue that we should not redesign but instead we should rebrand.

When Is the Right Time to Redesign? This should be a matter of personal choice or unless circumstances arise that forces your hand on this. Technology as I have mentioned or it could be changes in your marketing strategy. One other reason could be that you get constructive feedback from your visitors and you know that the site is not performing because of the fact that the layout is not conducive to what you are trying to achieve. Take a look at some website you can see that it is design around the content or as we would say designed inside out.

One thing to bear in mind is that you should only redesign for a reason and not just for the sake of redesigning, it does not make any business sense to redesign your website because you see your friend does it or just to keep up with the other bloggers. It is okay to give your blog a makeover because of marketing trend or for better functionality. One good thing you could do before you start that make over process is to poll your visitors and asked for their opinion that way it will help to make a better decision and make the changes smoother.

If you run a website or blog for quite some time with the same design it could be high time you give it a makeover but you should try to keep some characteristic of the former site to make it easily recognizable to your readers. One such area could be the logo as this represents your brand. The last thing you want after a redesign is to lose your valuable readers and visitors. There are lots of benefits from redesigning your one such one is the attraction of new visitors which can become regulars and also it can keep you in line with your competitors. No what are your views? Is it time for a redesign or a rebrand? Remember it should be for a reason that is worth it, share your views.

29 Comments

About Gary

I am a part-time blogger and founder of Lawmacs web design blog this is my online home where we discuss topics such as blogging web design and online marketing and last but not least your online Reputation. I love a good cup of coffee and an ice cold Guinness.

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29 Comments

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Peter J
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February 16, 2011 at 4:27 PM

I love seeing new redesigns for the new year as it means the blogger has put some effort into making his blog change for the new year. I much prefer changes over a re-design; like fixing a navigation bar or adding a new one over revamping the whole website.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 20, 2011 at 3:08 AM
  
  That is right Peter at the begining of the new year is always a good time to kick start with a spanking new design but we must always keep our blog identity in place so that it feels familar to our readers.
Shabnam Sultan
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February 16, 2011 at 8:45 PM

I must say that the thesis makeover of your blog is really great 🙂 i am also planning to do redesign my blog as not very much satisfied with the present design.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 20, 2011 at 3:05 AM
  
  Thanks Shabnam now i have an updated version out soon in a day or two Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. You kind words are always encouraging.
Graphic Design Melbourne
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February 16, 2011 at 11:34 PM

Hi, Gary. A new year almost always calls for something fresh and I believe I did that this year with a new site design. I recently just launched it and I believe that my new design will work best for what my customers and prospects are looking for. But, yes, I do agree with you that sometimes, it is better to just revamp your brand than redesign your website, unless the situation calls for it. I am into that myself, which is precisely why I came up with something really new instead of just revitalised. I thought it was time to cater to the growing needs of my target market and I am crossing my fingers to be proven correct.

– Wes –
- lawmacs
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  February 20, 2011 at 3:03 AM
  
  Hi Wes your new design looks brilliant and it makes the site looks much more proffessional and suitable more to your niche. I strongly belive that the end results in the long run will certainly pay off.
Website Designers
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February 16, 2011 at 11:43 PM

Your redesign blog attract me. I thing a website redesign. so this article help me thanks psharing this .
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 20, 2011 at 3:00 AM
  
  Hi Web designer glad that my design attracts you and i hope also that you find the contents just as useful too thanks for your comment.
Aswani
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February 17, 2011 at 3:58 AM

Yes, I agree and for the very same reasons I did it a few months back. I couldn’t have gone for the redesign but honestly I felt I should do it as I was also moving into niche blogging and so, I wanted to make it look professional as well as profiting. I think I did the right thing finally. But still, I am not satisfied. I am doing necessary changes and customizations to make it look more appealing and effective. Honestly, the redesign of my blog has certainly helped me out in terms of traffic and other advantages. To me, redesign of your blog becomes necessary when you are in a thing like niche blogging. Keep experimenting till you are able to get the best one which gets you the best results. Must say, you too have done a great thing by moving to Thesis. It looks cool and feature rich and I am sure, it is paying you all positively. All the best !!
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 20, 2011 at 2:58 AM
  
  You have done a great job with your blog Aswani it was a very bold move you made for all the right reasons you actually did a complete rebranding and i know it will pay off. Thanks for adding your voice to the debate.
Computer Lawyer
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February 17, 2011 at 6:37 AM

I’ve been thinking abour starting a legal blog, but one thing I need is to make sure it looks professional. Your post gave me some good insight into making a professional-looking blog. Thanks for the info!
- lawmacs
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  February 20, 2011 at 2:55 AM
  
  Thanks for your input i am glad that you found this blog and its readers of benefit to you feel free to stop by and post your comments and taking part in the discussion.
Andreas
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February 17, 2011 at 8:29 AM

Usually the traffic stats will always tell you the truth and poke you when its time to change your design, especially when overall traffic and ‘time spent per page’ values decrease.
- lawmacs
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  February 20, 2011 at 2:53 AM
  
  That another interesting way to look at it i gather from what you are saying is that when the traffic starts dropping then that means it is time to redesign your website. Just out of curiosity would that means it is time to rebrand?
Nicola
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February 19, 2011 at 12:18 AM

Nice question Gary! Recently, I started redesign my site just because I throught I had need to add new link that could help my readers. Usually I start redesign my template when a new idea come to my mind or when I saw a site that I like and gave me some inspiration.
- lawmacs
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  February 20, 2011 at 2:48 AM
  
  That is the thing with me Nicola whenever i have a template i always believe that i could add something more to it give a little tweak. i have noticed your new design and it looks great. thanks for your comment.
Christian
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February 19, 2011 at 12:57 AM

I liked your thoughts. I too don’t always seem happy with my design; and am always tweaking it. Maybe I should just get it up; and not worry about it for a time. Complete redesigns should be few and far between.
- lawmacs
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  February 20, 2011 at 2:42 AM
  
  I do the same i keep tweaking and changing it because it never seems to have the look i so desired although i know that it has its pros and cons but i just love to chop and change things thanks for your input her.
Professional Wedding Photographer
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February 19, 2011 at 3:31 PM

In my opinion there’s no substitute for proper planning the first time round before you create your first initial design. Having said that sometimes there are designs that require building before you can actually get to grips with exactly what you want from your site. I have often found that with my website design 3 complete redesigns have been necessary to arrive at an ideal solution, looking back at some of my old designs I’m so glad I redesigned. One has to be careful not to let the OCD creep in though, it can be so tempting to keep fiddling with things and a clean design can be made pretty messy. The concepts of performance and ease of use are always at the back of my mind when I think about changing things completely.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 20, 2011 at 2:23 AM
  
  Thanks for stopping by and welcome to my blog you said it perfectly could not agree with you more and as you rightly said the ease of use and performance concept should always be our main priority.
Bit Doze
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February 21, 2011 at 1:35 AM

I think a redesign is always needed when your blog has a rusty theme and isn’t any more updated with the latest technologies. Also in my opinion if you want to have success with your blog a original design is always needed.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM
  
  That is true there will always be a time when your old theme looks a bit rusty and needs a revamp and sometimes we need to make a complete redesign and repranding
Aletha
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February 21, 2011 at 2:43 PM

As the saying goes, “Life is a constant change” and so does websites design. If your website still looks like it was made in the ’90s, then it is definitely time for a redesign. This is important to catch up with the constantly evolving times and fashion on the net as well as visitor demands. Though it’s a bit difficult to redesign a site, it can be achieved though. Just hardwork and determination.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 23, 2011 at 4:11 PM
  
  You have said it perfectly life does change but when changing the design of our blog we need to keep some part of it like the logo to ensure that the readers have some form of familiarity
Jesica Wills
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February 22, 2011 at 4:25 AM

Amazing post, lawmacs. Very interesting article. like to read it. Keep up the good work. I hope blogger will do so soon. I am excited to see it.
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 23, 2011 at 4:08 PM
  
  Thanks a lot for taking the time to add your voice to the debate and i wish you all the success as a blogger. our visit is much appreciated.
Udegbunam Chukwudi
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February 23, 2011 at 1:45 PM

I’m never satisfied with my blog layout and that’s why I tend to change things from time to time but one thing I’m pretty much satisfied with is the current theme. It took me three themes to arrive at it and I’m hooked and don’t intend on letting go. No after so many customizations 😉
- lawmacs
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  Author
  
  February 23, 2011 at 4:06 PM
  
  i do understand i have done the same i am always trying to add and chop and change from time to time the beauty is that i just customize the theme i have this is actually Thesis but i love mocking about.
Web Development Ventura
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October 27, 2011 at 7:38 AM

Redesigning your blog is a big decision for a blogger as it can bring huge impact to the image and brand of your blog. However, if the elements in your blog aren’t working according to your purpose and goals in blogging it is about time for you to redesign your blog.