Why Do You Need Website Redesign Services?

You can attract more visitors to your website with a website redesign. Your site may need a makeover if your site has never gained much traffic, you suddenly lost keyword ranking, too many people are leaving your site too soon, your website is too slow, you want to update the banner and layout, your competitors are out ranking you, or the focus of your business focus has changed.

Google Algorithm Penalties

If your keyword ranking dropped suddenly it may be due to an update of one of Google's algorithms which penalize sites for over-optimization of your content (using your main keywords too often) on your website. This may require a web redesign to eliminate over-optimization of keywords.

Your Website SEO is Lacking

If you are not placing your main keywords in strategic places (titles, headers, text, image alt tags, etc.) then competitors may be able to out rank you (all other features being similar). Some web design features can deter ranking by not being search engine friendly, like having too much information in images instead of text. If your website isn't user friendly then visitors may leave and seek out your competitors instead.

Testimony:

testimony GLS new home pageGJS old home page

"Lori is great to work with. She put all the ideas I had rolling around in my head and created a beautiful site. She took the time to explain everything I needed to know about making my website rank higher." Jeff Lumia, Geoffrey James Salon, NJ.

Your Competitor Has a Better Ranking Strategy

Sudden changes in ranking can also be caused by your competitors being more aggressive with SEO or getting more involved in social media networking and digital marketing. Unless you frequently update your website with fresh content and focus on promoting your website, your ranking can slip over time and you'll loose potential customers.

Mobile Websites Rank Higher

BatsBirdsYard mobile website

Mobile friendly websites are now usually ranking higher in mobile search (all other factors being equal). So, if your website isn't easily viewed on tablets or a mobile phone, as well as a desktop, you may want to consider a makeover so it's more compatible for small mobile devices. Google recommends the responsive mobile method which means there is only one website which adjusts for different size screens depending on the device being used.

Google is now using the mobile version of websites to index pages so it's important to make sure your website content is mobile friendly. Check out the Mobile Web Design Portfolio for sites I've redesigned using the responsive method.

No SSL (Security Certificate)

Another factor that can hold back generic keyword ranking on a website is if your site hasn't been upgraded to a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which encrypts all data when people send you an email or fill out a form on your website. Google's Chrome browser now inserts a warning in the location bar, saying your site is not secure, when a site isn't set up for SSL. This can deter visitors and cause them to leave without even viewing your pages (see below).

chrome browser warning re no SSL

Once you install SSL, then all internal links on the site need to change as well as off-site links like Google Search Console and social networking sites like Facebook. I have a list of over 40 items that need to be changed for an upgrade to SSL.

No Calls to Action

Some websites neglect to include a phone number or email or other means for site visitors to contact the site owner so they can gain more information. Most people will leave a website instead of searching for a contact page. If this problem occurs on your website this information will need to be included on any page where people might want to contact you for more information. It also helps to have large call-to-action buttons in strategic places on the site like in the header at the top of every page or the footer.

order an In-Depth SEO Analysis Report

Page Speed Too Slow

A web page that takes more than 3 seconds to load may cause visitors to leave and look elsewhere for what they are searching for. Also, Google usually demotes ranking on pages that too slow. Reducing file size, avoiding code bloat, optimizing the images, avoiding loading images and fonts, etc., hosted on other sites, installing browser cache dates and gzipping the page contents can all reduce page load time and should be incorporated into any web redesign.

Confusing Navigation

Unless your navigation is easy to use and all your pages are listed in the menu then people may not be able to find the page they are looking for and this can result in a poor user experience. Also be sure that your website works properly in all browsers and operating systems.

Technical Issues Can Harm Ranking

HTML code standards get upgraded every few years and some html tags and attributes get deprecated (no longer work) when that occurs. For instance it used to be ok to use a font tag but now all font variants need to be placed in a CSS file, and the same with using an align or center tag. Even using tables to set up a web page is now deprecated, unless it's used for a data table, but even then CSS should control the formatting of all table elements.

CMS Programs, Website Builders and WordPress are some of the worst offenders of not updating code standards. Check your website with the W3C validator to see if it has any errors. Also see other technology blockers that can prevent good ranking in search engines. A web page will no longer validate with deprecated code and it may not display correctly in modern browsers either unless the site undergoes a redesign.

Lori's Redesign Samples

(Run your mouse over the images or tap them to see the original)

jagbits new home pageJagbits website redesign of old home page RubesRubes new home page website redesign youdodj new home pageYouDoDJ  new home page redesign

Redesign Prices

Most of the time spent on a redesign is usually taken up in setting up a custom layout of the home page. Once that is done a template can be set up for the inner pages and then data can be entered into the template quickly for pages with a similar layout.

The price to have your site redesigned varies widely depending on the skill of the designer, how many pages, how many images, how many images need optimization, lists, tables full of data, videos, custom designed graphics and other features that will be included in the layout. When I write out an estimate, I stick to the original agreement, even if I didn't calculate it high enough, unless the site owner wants more features included than were agreed upon. See the rates page for more information on web redesign pricing.

Lori's Redesign Strategy

Lori hand codes all html websites, so no there is need for her to pay extra for WYSIWYG, CMS, or Website Builder programs which keeps the costs down for her design services. This also means that the websites she designs have no code bloat and load faster than most sites of the same size built on programs like Wordpress.

Hand coded HTML used on all web pages.
No templates or WYSIWYGs used here.

Lori can also read the code if there is a problem with code validating (like a mechanic being able to fix a car). Lori is also a graphic designer so she can set up graphic buttons or banners, take the backgrounds out of images and resize them if needed.

Website redesigning is a service I enjoy because I like the challenge of figuring out what caused the ranking drop and helping a website owner gain better ranking in Google within their budget. See my Bio at the bottom on my home page, for more information on my education, experience and qualifications to makeover your website.

For more info see the about page or check out Google Reviews from Clients of Lori's Web Design, or call me at (509) 397-6000 if I can help you makeover your website.

Lori has no employees so you get personalized service from Lori's Web Design. Lori is also a Christian Web Designer.

Website Maintenance Services

Lori performs website maintenance on all sites she has designed on an on-call basis, instead of monthly contracts and all fees are based on an hourly rate of $30 per hour, with a minimum of 10 minutes.

How to Contact Lori

Fill out the Quote Form for pricing, email Lori at Info@loriswebs.com or call +1 509-397-6000 with any questions you may have.

You may need a SEO analysis report before a website redesign if your website has drastically dropped in rank, to determine if there are any technical problems that are preventing higher keyword ranking:

order an In-Depth SEO Analysis Report

Also see the Plan to Redesign a Website for list of
changes that are usually made when undergoing aredesign.

Lori Eldridge
Copyright © 8-23-04, Updated 12-03-22
All Rights Reserved.