Redesigning an e-commerce website can greatly benefit small businesses, but it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are six important things to keep in mind to avoid common pitfalls and ensure a smooth redesign. While some of these might seem like tasks only big companies do, small businesses should take them seriously too.
1. Setting Up Redirects
Redirects are crucial to keep your search rankings and avoid broken links:
- 301 Redirects: Ensure you set up 301 redirects from your old URLs to the new ones. This helps retain your SEO value and guides users to the correct pages. Many small businesses overlook this step, which can lead to a drop in search rankings and lost traffic.
- Simple Redirect Mapping: Use a simple spreadsheet to map old URLs to new ones.
2. Getting Feedback from Your Best Customers
Your loyal customers can provide valuable insights to improve your e-commerce website redesign:
- Feedback on Current Website: Ask your best customers what they like and dislike about your current site through quick surveys or informal chats.
3. Creating Detailed Reports
Tracking performance metrics throughout the redesign process is essential:
- Before the Redesign: Document key metrics such as traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates. This will serve as your baseline.
- After the Redesign: Compare post-launch metrics with your baseline to measure success and adjust based on what the data tells you. Skipping this step makes it hard to know if the redesign was successful. Don’t forget: it can take 3-6 months to see the real impact of the new design.
4. Monitoring Google Reindexing
Ensuring Google indexes your new site properly is crucial:
- Google Search Console: Regularly check your Google Search Console for indexing issues. This tool helps you see how Google views your site and can highlight problems.
- Fixing Indexing Issues: Address any issues such as crawl errors or duplicate content immediately to maintain your search rankings. Neglecting this can lead to a drop in search visibility.
5. Maintaining SEO
Keeping your SEO rankings during a redesign helps avoid losing traffic:
- Keyword Retention: Make sure your new design retains important keywords in content and metadata. Overlooking this can result in lost keyword rankings.
- Content Migration: Carefully move all valuable content to the new site. Missing or misplacing content can harm your SEO efforts and lead to a loss of organic traffic.
6. Post-Launch Monitoring and Tweaking
Your work isn’t done once the new site goes live:
- Performance Tracking: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor how users interact with the new site. Look at metrics such as load times, bounce rates, and conversion rates.
- Collect User Feedback: Keep gathering feedback from users about their experience with the new site. This helps you make necessary tweaks to improve usability.
At Coconut Design, we take care of all these aspects for you, ensuring a smooth and successful e-commerce website redesign. Let us handle the technical details while you focus on growing your business.