Are You Considering a Website Redesign?

If so, you need to know that design alone will not give you the results you’re looking for in a website redesign.  

Listen to Cathy’s story.

Cathy is responsible for the global marketing of her company. The only problem is her website isn’t working. Oh, it’s beautifully designed. She spent thousands of dollars to ensure the design was appealing to the eye.  But when her boss asked how the newly designed website was performing, she was gripped with fear. How can she tell her boss that all that money they spent had little to no effect on the performance?

I’ve had plenty of conversations with business owners discussing websites. Some don’t know that the words are not part of the design aspects. Although, the smart ones do.

Which Comes First?

Design or Words. It’s kind of like the chicken or egg question.

Pictures do help communicate a message, it’s true.

However, will the designer know what image captures the intent of your message without the words communicating the message? 

You must instruct the designer using words that convey the feeling you want to come across in the images.

You must communicate…

  • the type of audience you’re targeting
  • your audience’s problems
  • how you understand those unsolved problems are causing them pain
  • you know the impact to your audiences’ lives because of that pain.

Without that, you receive only pretty pictures or snazzy design that’s hollow at its core.

Words Really Do Matter

With one phrase you can provoke people to take inspired action. Or drive them away faster than a pack of wild hyaenas.

As humans, we communicate with words. Always have for centuries. Why would anyone think a mere picture or image can convey the complex message we want to share?

Stories are the best vehicle to carry our ideas to the masses. Stories are how history has been passed down from generation to generation.

Even God’s message to His people was written into words to be read and shared with millions and billions of people. And there are no pictures in the Bible, just words.

The Son of God, Jesus Christ is called the Word of God who became flesh and dwelled among us lowly humans.

The Word of God was with God. The Word of God was God. The Word of God was Jesus, God in human flesh.

Don’t Make the Mistake

When you’re tempted to redesign your website, don’t make the mistake of hiring only a designer. Else you’ll end up with a beautiful website that doesn’t do its job converting visitors into paying customers.

Hire a direct response copywriter. Work out the words you want to use to convey your message. Make the language conversational. Speak to your ideal audience with words that they understand. Convey your expertise by showing how you know about their struggle and have a solution to help.

Then and only then do you hire the designer. Armed with the right words, coupled with a capable designer, you’ll have a website that not only looks good, but does what it’s supposed to – generate leads and convert leads into customers.

In Conclusion

If you don’t want to end up like Cathy, when you’re thinking about a website redesign, get my 35 Point customer experience checklist. It’s a free and powerful checklist to ensure you’re designing in customer experience elements that make your website irresistible.