mediasalt

Here’s another question that seems to come up frequently in our discussions around MediaSalt, and probably one that will come up for you going into a fresh new year: Is it the right time to redesign our site?

Honestly, there are dozens of schools of thought on this topic. Some experts will tell you to redesign frequently to avoid become stale; other experts will tell you choose a great design and only modify it slightly from time-to-time (similar to Amazon). Personally, I kind of fall in the middle of these two schools, and have developed a few rules to guide my redesign thought process. Check them out and let us know if they apply to you.

When Your Site Is Ugly

Stating the obvious here, but it’s time to take your ugly website off of life support. Studies show that a good majority of folks these days begin their search for a local church online first. The last thing you want them to see is a page full of animated gifs and a “breaking news feed” that was last updated in August of 2003. It’s time to invest some talent and energy into your new “front door.”

When Technology Is Moving On

Most of the time, the progress of technology will make your decision for you. Maybe your site is written around a coding standard that is quickly becoming obsolete. Maybe your site was designed for an 800px wide monitor and it’s feeling a little long-in-the-tooth on your new 27″ iMac. Whatever the technological reason, it should be obvious when it’s time to rethink the layout of your site.

When Your Content Has Outgrown Your Template

This is a good problem to have… It means that you’re doing such a great job of producing numerous types of quality content that you no longer have a good way of keeping it all organized on your site. This problem can also pop up when you’re trying to incorporate new media into your site such as video content, Facebook badges and various Twitter feeds. Use this growth as positive momentum to rethink your current solution.

When It’s Time to Change Your Image

Are you in the process of rebranding and repositioning yourself within the community? This will probably force your hand on at least a partial redesign so you can build some harmony among all of your communication vehicles. It might also be a good time to branch out and take some creative chances too; you’re presenting a new image to your audience, which gives you a lot of creative leverage to try out some new ideas.

I think that sums up my rules for considering a redesign. If I could add one more thing, I would have to say that I’m not a fan of change purely for change’s sake, especially if you already have an effective layout that is popular with your audience. Consider an occasional palette swap or evolutionary improvements instead.

Is a redesign on the horizon for your church/ministry? Let us know about your thought process in the comments below.