Test ideas before starting a website redesign
Test ideas before starting a website redesign
1. Establish straightforward, measurable objectives for the redesign project.
This will tell you which metrics to focus on for the testing.
2. Test combinations of headlines and copy that convey your value proposition in different ways.
There is more than one way to tell your story, so try several approaches that emphasize various phrases and perspectives, then measure which ones lead to better performance.
3. Decide on the visual impression that you want your site to give visitors. Test images and colors to find out which best convey the impression you want.
The interplay between colors and images can offer an entirely different look and feel to your site visitors, and testing is the only way to really know which combination works best most often. Should the site feel playful and simple or serious and academic?
4. Test navigational menu placement and the depth of menu items.
Should the menu be short and succinct or go deep? Should you place it on the left or right side of the header? These choices impact every potential buyer’s ability to interact with your site.
5. Test your page structures, including the order of elements used in each.
Every page offers an infinite number of possibilities for structure, content, and layout. Is it better to put social proof elements above or below a descriptive content block? Should you replace that content with a featured video? Or infographic?
6. Test multiple ways of moving buyers through the site, like single-page and guided paths.
Are buyers expected to conduct all of their business on a single page, or do they need to visit different areas to get what they need? Should the navigational menus be their primary means to move about, or are there better ways to lead them along the ideal path?
7. Test the wording, graphics, placement, and colors of your calls to action (CTAs).
These can have a huge impact on CTA performance. Testing many possibilities is the only way to know which combinations work better for more visitors.
8. Test the types of social proof that you show to buyers and the placement on screen.
Helping your buyers understand what their peers think and how they have appreciated your offerings is more important than ever. But what’s the best way to share this information without putting it in the way?
9. Integrate iterative experimentation and testing as a standard part of managing and optimizing your website.
Testing and experimentation also enable you to personalize the base experience for different individuals, and adapt to changing visitor behavior over time. Whether or not you are considering a site redesign right now, it’s common for website testing to reveal a few surprises. Site features that are well liked may not actually help achieve the desired outcomes. Replace HIPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) decision making with decisions based on data. Your site and business results will be better for it.