Website Redesign

Written by JR on February 25, 2010 @ 4:46 PM.

Website redesign requires special skills. It's not the same as creating a site from scratch. There is a lot more that needs to be considered. So, I thought I'd share a little bit about how Crashbox Creative handles website redesign using a recent redesign of the Warren Lamb & Associates website.

Merging Old and New Without Wiping Out Branding Efforts

Warren Lamb & Associates has been providing secure electronic data interchange and electronic commerce technology strategies for healthcare, financial, and media industries since 1989. So, prior to their website redesign, they had established a strong presence in their industry.

Crashbox sought to give the Warren Lamb & Associates website a professional facelift without nullifying any of the company's branding efforts.

The existing Lamb logo and existing company colors were incorporated into the site to maintain company identity while still allowing a complete overhaul of the existing website. These elements help Warren Lamb & Associates' return visitors answer the first question a website needs to answer.

Where am I?

A complete website redesign without some of these transitional elements might leave return visitors confused as to whether they have come to the right website and might cost the company some critical business.

The Site Structure of the Website Redesign

Site structure of the new website redesign revolved around allowing site visitors to find services in two ways.

First of all, if a visitor knew what business area they data security for, they needed a quick way to find out if Warren Lamb & Associates provided services in that area. So a mouseover drop-down menu was implemented to give home page visitors a quick list of links to the variety of business areas in which Warren Lamb & Associates specialized.

Secondly, visitors in specific industries such as healthcare, media, and finance, who were seeking ways to secure their digital documents and securely transmit those files, needed a quick look at the industries in which Warren Lamb & Associates specialize. Drop-down menus from the home page along with introductory copy on the various industries the company specializes in, allow visitors to quickly identify their industry before learning about the various services Warren Lamb & Associates provide in those industries.

Going Wider Instead of Deeper

Finally, the website was redesigned in such a way that each page of the site can easily be reached from the home page. Visitors rarely go too many clicks deep on a website. If the site doesn't have quick and easy access to all content, the website loses visitors, and, consequently, customers.

So, the Warren Lamb & Associates website was structured in such a way that every single page can quickly be reached from the home page.

A good threshold for website structure is four clicks deep. Visitors really don't want to click more than four times to get the content they're looking for. The new Warren Lamb & Associates site takes navigation ease to the next level making it simple for visitors to find the information they're looking for and make a quick decision.

Website Redesign Facelift

Website redesign is in a completely different category from websites that are designed from scratch. Navigation speed must be improved, conversion rates increased, and a professional edge must be presented. However, if the company isn't re-branding, careful attention must be paid to maintaining consistency in the transition.

If you're thinking of redesigning your website, contact Crashbox Creative. We'll help you do it right.