Before you commission a new website redesign, ask one question.
Is my website the problem - or is it simply showing me that my brand needs some attention?
Your website looks dated.
So you assume you need a new website.
But sometimes the website isn't really the problem.
Sometimes the problem started much earlier.
Your business has changed.
Your customers have changed.
Your services have changed.
But your brand hasn't.
And your website is simply showing the symptoms.
The "new website redesign" trap
It's very easy to think:
Our website looks old. Let's get a new one.
So you find a web designer, choose a new template, replace the photographs and rewrite a few pages.
Six months later, something still doesn't feel right.
Why?
Because a new website can't fix a confused brand.
If you don't know exactly what you stand for, who you're trying to reach or what makes you different, a beautiful website can simply make the confusion look more polished.
Start with the bigger question
Before redesigning your website, ask:
Does our brand still represent the business we are today?
Maybe you've moved upmarket.
Maybe you've started offering different services.
Maybe you've grown from a one-person business into a team.
Maybe your original customers aren't the customers you want to attract anymore.
Maybe your competitors now look considerably more professional than you do.
Or perhaps you've simply outgrown the identity you created when you first started.
If any of those sound familiar, a brand review could be more valuable than immediately rebuilding your website.
Sometimes you need a rebrand. Sometimes you don't.
This is where having someone experienced involved can make a difference.
You don't necessarily need to throw everything away.
Your existing logo might still be perfectly good.
Your colours might work.
Your name might be strong.
Your website might simply need better structure and clearer messaging.
Equally, there are times when a business genuinely needs a new visual identity.
The important thing is finding out which situation you're actually in.
Think of your brand and website as one system
Your brand should establish the visual language.
Your website should bring that language to life.
Your marketing should reinforce it.
Your social media should feel like the same business.
Your brochures, presentations and other communications should all belong to the same world.
When those pieces work together, your business can feel much more coherent and professional.
That's where Orriss Design is different
I sit across both sides of the problem.
Branding and logo design.
Website design.
Graphic design.
Marketing materials.
That means you don't necessarily need to find one person to redesign your brand, another to create the website and somebody else to produce your marketing materials.
You can start with a conversation about the business itself.
Then work out what actually needs doing.
I have more than 35 years' experience in graphic design and have worked with more than 150 clients, creating everything from logos and visual identities to websites and marketing materials.
Before you commission a new website design, ask one question
Is my website the problem - or is it simply showing me that my brand needs some attention?
If you're not sure, that's exactly the sort of thing worth discussing before you spend money.
I offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation.
We'll look at where you are, where you want to go and what might actually need changing.
And if the answer is, "You don't need a complete new website," I'll tell you that too.
Because good design isn't about selling you more design. It's about finding the right solution.
LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE? - Book a free discovery call today