Common Mistakes in Website Redesign
Website projects were big in 2024, and it appears that 2025 will be no different given the importance of a strong web presence. Redesigning a website is an exciting opportunity to tell your story, better serve your various audiences, and achieve your business goals. However, we’ve identified and helped organizations navigate some common pitfalls that could have led to increased costs, project delays, and a final product that falls short of expectations. Here are our top ten website mistakes to avoid.
1. Failing to Define Clear Goals
One of the most critical steps in a website redesign is defining what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to improve user experience, increase lead generation, or align your website with a rebrand? Without clear goals, it’s impossible to scope the project and measure the success of your redesign. Avoid vague objectives and instead set measurable benchmarks, such as increasing page load speed by 20% or improving conversion rates by 15%.
Avoid the pitfall by: Engaging key stakeholders early to align on priorities and ensure the redesign reflects your organization’s strategic goals.
2. Underestimating the Scope of the Project
Thorough website redesigns often involve more work than anticipated – it’s more than a facelift on the look of the site. From conducting an SEO audit of your existing site to evaluating current functionality and potential integration with third-party systems, the scope can expand quickly. A common mistake is not accounting for hidden complexities, such as desired functionalities, current integrations, or compliance requirements in healthcare or financial industries.
Avoid the pitfall by: Conducting a thorough discovery phase to identify all necessary functions, potential challenges, and dependencies.
3. Ignoring Your Target Audience
Your website isn’t just about your organization—it’s about the people who visit your site. Whether your site caters to healthcare patients, credit union members, prospective students, or business customers, it should meet your audience’s expectations for an intuitive, modern, and streamlined user experience. A redesign that prioritizes form over functionality may alienate your audience.
Avoid the pitfall by: Using data-driven insights such as historical website analytics, competitive analysis, and user feedback to understand your audience’s preferences and pain points.
4. Not Prioritizing Mobile Experience
With most of web traffic coming from mobile devices (for many of our website projects, we’ve seen up to 85% mobile!), a mobile-friendly website is like seat belts in a car – non-negotiable. However, many organizations fail to design their websites with a mobile-first approach, favoring design and features that either don’t translate (or don’t translate well) to a mobile experience.
Avoid the pitfall by: Ensuring design works well in a mobile environment first, then translating that across myriad device and screen sizes with more working real estate.
5. Overlooking SEO
A shiny new website means nothing if your audience can’t find it. Search engine optimization (SEO) often takes a backseat during redesigns, leading to a drop in search rankings. Not starting with an SEO strategy leads to ineffective metadata, broken links, or neglected keyword research.
Avoid the pitfall by: Starting with an SEO audit to highlight site performance enhancements, conduct keyword research and competitive analysis, and define a content strategy.
6. Skipping a Content Strategy
Your website’s design is only as strong as its content. Many organizations underestimate the time and effort required to create or update content during a redesign. Outdated or irrelevant content can undermine the user experience and your brand’s credibility.
Avoid the pitfall by: Develop a comprehensive web content strategy that aligns with your goals, which should include optimization for search engines (see above!). Audit your existing content, identify gaps, and plan for regular, ongoing updates.
7. Overloading the Design with Features
It’s easy to get carried away with bells and whistles, from animations and video to complex site navigation. However, an overly complicated design can confuse users and slow down your website.
Avoid the pitfall by: Focusing on simplicity and the visitor journey. Prioritize features that directly enhance the user experience, support your business objectives, and work well across mobile (reference #4).
8. Not Having Access to Critical Accounts
A successful website redesign requires access to all the necessary logins, including your admin dashboard, hosting, and domain registrar accounts. Failing to gather these details upfront can lead to unnecessary delays and added stress during critical stages of the redesign process.
Avoid the pitfall by: Creating an inventory of all relevant accounts and ensure login credentials are up to date before the start of your redesign.
9. Failing to Plan for Post-Launch
You’ve built a brand new site – now what? Without a plan to share your new site, promote its features and functionality, your new site won’t get the traffic it deserves. Also, without an ongoing website maintenance plan to manage performance and ongoing optimization, your investment may not deliver long-term value.
Avoid the pitfall by: Establishing a post-launch strategy that includes a website promotion and ongoing maintenance plan for analytics monitoring, regular updates, and a feedback loop for continuous improvement.
10. Choosing the Wrong Partner
The success of your redesign often hinges on selecting the right partner. Some organizations opt for the cheapest or quickest option, only to encounter communication issues, missed deadlines, or subpar results.
Avoid the pitfall: Vet potential partners carefully. Look for experience in your industry, a strong portfolio, and a clear process for collaboration.
Avoiding these common mistakes can save you time, money, and frustration while ensuring your website redesign achieves its full potential. If you’re planning a website redesign and want to ensure success, let’s talk. Chartwell Agency specializes in helping organizations plan, scope, design, and develop impactful websites that make their virtual front doors appealing and effective.
