How and Why to Redesign a Website or Mobile App

When it comes to the creation of apps or websites, companies anticipate that it will boost their profits. This is often the scenario. However, it is possible to be altered at any time because competition in web and mobile applications is increasing every day in consumers. This implies that your site or other resource could become obsolete and customers who are interested in your product are more likely to go elsewhere. Do not think of that launch date of an app or site as the final phase in the development of your business.

But it is crucial to never undertake a redesign of your application without justification or without proper planning, like an analysis of your target user and the state that your app or product is in. This article will assist you in determining whether your website or app needs a revamp and, should it be required, how you can proceed with caution.

There are many reasons why you should upgrade your application or website

These are some of the top reasons to upgrade to the latest version of your program. According to your business's sector and type certain factors could be more significant than others. It's essential to keep all of them in mind whenever you think on the potential of updating your software.

Websites that have measurable parameters

1. Rate of bounce

The bounce rate is the proportion of single-page visits in the total number of sessions. Are large percentage of bounces indicate of a bad experience? It's all dependent on the objectives you've set for your site. If the success of your website is contingent on the number of users who have visited multiple pages, then a high bounce rate may be a concern. If you're running single-page websites or the content you offer is intended to permit one-page visits and a high bounce rate may be considered acceptable. Learn more about the bounce rate is determined and how you can examine the bounce rate in this blog.

2. Page speed

Google considers this indicator when indexing and ranking pages. Specifically, its algorithm likely takes into account time to the first byte of information. In addition, slow page loading can negatively impact your indexing because search engines can inspect fewer of your pages for the allocated crawl budget. Page speed also affects the user experience and, as a result, conversion rate. If the page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, 40% of visitors immediately close it. Thus, longer loading times will lead to higher bounce rates and lower average on-page time. To find out how fast your website loads and why, you can use GTmetrix .

3. Time on site

Another indicator that could indicate the need to redesign your website is the amount of amount of time that users spend on your site. If you are considering this indicator, you should be aware that the result could not be accurate in specific circumstances because users may have shut down their browsers , and have not been actively surfing the website.

4. Sales and leads

Leads are prospective customers and conversions refer to lead who have taken an step (e.g. by entering their email address on your Contact Page, soliciting a quote or signing up to your newsletter via email ).If your conversion rate is very low compared with leads it's a sign that your users aren't finding the information they're looking for on your website. There are two main reasons either outdated content or inadequate access. In any situation, it's the right time to overhaul your.

Parameters that can be measured for applications

1. Session length

The duration of a session refers to the time that users are using the application during a session which begins from the moment the app opened and closing. Examine the duration of sessions and the amount of time required to complete the desired task. For instance when the checkout process requires five minutes, and the average duration of the session is 4.5 minutes, then you need to 4.5 minutes. You must either simplify it or allow users to stay within your application longer.

2. Interval between sessions

The session duration is the period between the current session and the previous one and shows the frequency at which users utilize your application over the duration. It is an essential indicator of retention. The analysis of this indicator can help you in enhancing your app's UX in order to make it easier for users to visit the app often. If you find that your tablet app is longer than the mobile version, it's important to upgrade the tablet app by incorporating push notifications or in-app notifications that ensure regular interaction with your application.

3. Time in the application

The amount of time in-app refers to the time that users spend on your app at any given duration (e.g. users were using the app for five minutes in an hours ).This is an additional measure of how frequently your app is used and how active users on your application have been. In addition to the duration of sessions and time between sessions, it provides an accurate picture of patterns of use and user's behavior during the period of the time. The long period of time spent in the app is advantageous in the event that users stick to the pattern of the screen and perform the actions they want to complete.

4. Screen flow

This number indicates how often users open and close each screen, as being the order in which screens are displayed that show what the average user is doing within your application. Through analyzing the sequence of screens and studying the flow of screens it is possible to determine what users do at one particular screen and what they do on their next screens they go to. This will enable you to spot issues such as screen drops and problems in the conversion. With this information , you can tweak your product to improve funnels, or even enhance your marketing strategies in order to engage the customers.

To track all of the indicators mentioned above across a single platform, turn on the app Annie Connect tool. It will assist you in monitoring the app's performance throughout its entire lifecycle beginning with research and concept to launch marketing and design.

Another reason to overhaul

1. You're moving to a newer technology

If your site or app was designed using outdated technology , or is not compatible with particular devices the app should be updated. The purpose of every overhaul is to make the application better user-friendly, quicker and more efficient and secure. If you are able to update your technology frequently and frequently, you'll be able to provide your customers the best users experience.

2. Your competitors have newer apps and websites.

Businesses with modern and contemporary websites and apps appear to be more concerned with their customers and may even begin "stealing" yours. The customers are usually attracted to the relationship between the state of the app in addition to the quality of the products and services available.

3. Making even minor changes takes an immense amount of time.

Modern mobile and web applications are built to be updated and easily modified using a variety of devices. If making small changes to your site or application isn't an easy task (especially in situations where it requires you to communicate with the third company) This is a sign of the requirement to create adjustments to your site.

4. Your company will be transformed into a brand

To allow your customers to believe you're an established professionally-run brand it is essential that your digital content reflect the image of your business. A well-crafted image for your brand can help small businesses stand out from the big companies.

5. You're keen to keep up with specific trends in design within your field.

Because fashion trends evolve every few years, a website or website could appear old in comparison to its competitors. It is not essential to keep up to date with allthe latest trends, but to decide if it's worth re-designing your site or product, be thinking about these questions:

Image of the brand is going to benefit from these modifications?

Do your competitions profiting from these developments?

6. You'd like to speed up the process in loading

Time is a major issue in this day and age. There isn't anyone who would download an app that takes a long time to load. This is among the main reasons behind huge bounce. Another element that determines the speed of your website's loading is the technology upon the basis of which your product is constructed. Modern technologies are directed to speed up loading times and also decreasing bounce rates and improving the position of your site's search engine.

7. You'd like to improve security for your data

Nowadays, your personal details and financial information is stored by servers which have been made electronic. In the world of digital security, the technology of last year's may be outdated in just a days. If you're using an outdated system the personal information of users could be found and used. It is therefore vital to verify regularly whether your CMS (content management system) or a customized security system is compatible with the latest standard of security.

8. You're trying to increase your website's rank on search engines.

If your site was built employing a template redesigning it will help to improve its structure and improve the search engine optimization. In this scenario , the redesign has to modify the code using custom URLs for each page and titles, heading tags and title and alt tags. Select a more advanced CMS that will make it easier to optimize your product, and permit users to make small adjustments.

9. You'd want to add plugins or integrate apps from third parties.

To improve the data collection process in tests, collection of data and user experience, it's vital to design an application that works with all required devices and apps. This is one of the main reasons behind designing your app. The most often utilized integrations include:

• Social media
• Google Analytics
• Banners
• Payment gateways
• Booking systems
• Content management systems for managing content

What can you do to redesign your app or your website?

Do not mix the words "redesign" with a "refresh." Redesigns concern altering the design or structure, however, the phrase "refresh" refers to a small change that does not alter the fundamental function of the product's structure or design.

When you're redesigning an app , or website, follow the steps below to design your dream product . Also, ensure that you don't make risks with your choices.

1. Know your objectives

Because a design change can impact your product's performance, it's important to set specific and achievable objectives prior to starting. Examples of real-world and achievable goals include:

• Users are growing
• Reduce bounce rates
• The sales are increasing

Quantitative metrics can help you keep on top of the development of your product and decide whether you've reached your goal. Set specific objectives can help you in deciding if you should revamp or just make changes to your app or website.

2. Find out more about the people you have and the ways you can connect directly with the users.

The most overlooked aspect of redesigning your website is the communication with your clients. It is crucial to know who's using your application and also who is visiting your site, to are aware of their motives and what attracts users to your website. Once you've set your goals , you'll have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish by redesigning your app. It's next to notify those who trust and who use your app about the forthcoming changes. Once you've made this happen ensure that you interact with them and find out about their preferences and what they think about the latest developments. It could help your business if you doesn't simply listen to the opinions of your customers but also responds quickly to their suggestions.

3. Examine the current state for your app

If your app was created and users have used it for a prolonged period of time, then you have data available to analyze. It could be qualitative (e.g. information on usage and engagement) and also qualitative (e.g. customer reviews). Take all relevant data and watch for patterns. Perhaps your customers complain continuously about something or they're hitting the wrong button. This kind of analysis could give you a thorough overview of the performance of your product overall.

4. Make the necessary changes to the structure of an example

It is now the right moment to design a fresh look for your app by following the steps described in the next steps:

• Choose a pattern that will resolve each problem you'd like to solve
• Compare it with other patterns that deal with the same issue.
• Find out which of the most successful firms in business use this strategy and if it assists them overcome their challenges.
• Wireframes can be created and then design complete design screen
• Create a model of your app using the design you've chosen

5. Try out the proposed changes to users and then go over their responses

After a few variations of the design have been created, it's recommended to get feedback from people outside the company. If possible it would be best to utilize an existing database of users, and then use the feedback to identify the features that need to be enhanced.

Doing some research in the initial stages gives you the opportunity to get actual comments. It's okay that a small portion of feedback is negative, however taking the time to solve the issues will enhance the likelihood of creating an efficient product.

6. Determine the metrics you wish to monitor and keep track of the usage

Prior to, during and after the process of redesigning it is crucial to consider what changes that you implement affect how your application and the user experience. So, you should choose a specific set of metrics mentioned earlier to monitor. These metrics that you choose are determined by your goals. For example If your aim is to boost sales, you'll need to monitor sales and conversions. If you're looking to increase the engagement of your clients, you need to be focusing on bounce rates as well as the time spent on your site rather than bounce rates.

Redesigning strategies

Alongside the essential aspects of the process of redesign (discussed in the preceding section) There are a few other important aspects to know prior to and after this redesign.

1. Don't try to alter the whole application

Redesigning your app doesn't mean having to do everything again. It could be as simple as some minor changes that are based on a clear analysis of the data and plausible forecasts. To increase the quality of an app, go at the available data and make minor changes the beginning. In this stage, there is no need to stay up-to-date with current UI developments or compare your app's performance against competitors. The results of a change can be devastating if companies don't take into account future developments. Do not try to do more than you can handle at the same time.

2. Keep your users in your

Be aware that users visit your website or application for some specific purpose. It is crucial to make sure that any changes you make even the smallest ones, are user-friendly. Be sure to research statistics regarding your customers and their personal preferences.

In this scenario the case, for example, it could be that you have a design that is old and has attracted lots of visitors or converts. In this situation, it's unlikely you would want to harm the performance of your site by refreshing the site to make it more attractive.

Offer users an easy-to-use UX like cart icons on the top right , as well as contact information in the header and footer. The quicker users are able to identify what they are searching for, the greater chance to them to complete what they want to do.

3. Connect your metrics to your goals

In assessing how your company be aware that any signpost could be a sign of either success or failure, depending on your goals.

For instance, that your prior website was not able to navigate and took a long time to locate the needed details. After re-designing your site, visitors will be able to swiftly navigate to the page they want to go to. The bounce rate will likely increase as users don't have to navigate through the whole site.

In this case, the increase in bounce rates suggests that your redesign succeeded and in other situations it could be an indication of a flawed strategy for design. So, it's crucial to note the metrics that are most likely to reveal the outcome of your efforts and show how you've accomplished the goals you set for yourself.

4. Be particularly attentive to your strongest strong users

The customers who are the most effective and have integrated your app into their routine are your most loyal clients. They have used your app before and regularly use its features, and can offer helpful suggestions on how you can enhance your app. Because of this commitment, changes can have a negative impact on those who already use the application since they've become comfortable with the interface they've used prior to the redesign. They might be unable to adapt their experience to the latest interface, especially when the changes were substantial. To ensure that you don't make your users unhappy, you should keep their opinions and feedback into the front of your mind during the redesign process.

5. Create an imaginative and thorough release note

Users are very concerned about changes to their favourite apps. They could be eagerly waiting for your announcement or new functionality, fix issues, or improve your user interface by introducing different themes. A detailed description of every update will keep users more engaged. Make clear and well-organized notes on the release that outline what's been changed, added, or fixed applying appropriate marks. It is also possible to indicate new features using"New" as a word in your "New" directly in the application. You can also provide users with a summary whenever you upgrade your app to the latest version.

6. Take into consideration feedback from users once they've adjusted to the style

At times, the revamp of an application fails. Customers may be irritated and discontented with the new features. They may also be in awe of the latest version of your app which could harm the reputation of your application. In these circumstances, it is suggested to look into these complaints, then reply to them and consider making the necessary adjustments.

Do not rush to make changes after the initial negativity feedback, however. It's normal for people to be dissatisfied when changes are made shortly after they've been implemented. Don't jump to conclusions immediately following the announcement of the new design.

Conclusion

The process of redesigning HTML0 may be daunting initially, but there's a way to be successful by following the guidelines and steps we provide. In just two months, you'll be able achieve your objectives and offer your customers with an enhanced experience.

If you're looking to improve or revamp or improve your web site's appearance, we'd love to speak directly with you. Our company has helped companies with all sizes in improving their applications and websites, and we'd like to discuss the options available and the way we operate. Simply reach out with your ideas.