Are you looking to switch from a dysfunctional, underperforming website?

Many factors can lead a business to decide on a fresh start with its website. This could be a promising opportunity to revitalize your online presence, especially if your current website is ‘broken,’ seemingly beyond repair, or if your business is looking to rebrand.

Unfortunately, there are many cases of businesses contracting with developers who do not deliver on their promises. This sometimes leaves a company with a website that is not actively maintained. If you have had such an experience; God forbid, you know how costly this can be for a business. For this very reason, clients have come to us for assistance.

In today’s world, having an excellent online presence is not just a luxury for a company, it’s a necessity. Many businesses that do not get this right risk missing out on growth or falling behind. A good website can be a significant investment for a business, but it’s always a worthy one.

In this article, I will share insights on how a good website relaunch or rebranding can ensure that your new online presence maximizes your website traffic and converts more customers. If you are not a ‘tech person,’ do not worry. I will use as many lay terms as possible to make the process clear and understandable.

WEBSITE AND DOMAIN NAME

Everyone knows what a website and domain names are on some level. But I will give simple definitions here so that we stay on the same page.

Think of a website as a virtual office on the internet. A website can have all sorts of things on it, like text, pictures, videos, and more. You access a website using a web browser like Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

This is the unique address that identifies a specific website. Just like an office address tells you where to find the office, a domain name tells your web browser where to find the website you’re looking for. For example, the domain name for Google is “google.com”. When you type that into your browser, it takes you to Google’s website.

WEBSITE TRAFFIC

If you own a website, you want people to visit it. To have a high conversion rate, you need the right people visiting your website. By this, I mean people who are likely to purchase your products or services or partner with your business.

You may ask yourself, ‘If I relaunch my company website, will I not lose traffic?’. This question is good but does not have to be this way. To explain this, I’ll touch on key aspects affecting your website traffic.

  • Keyword Research: It is crucial to understand the keywords people use to search for products or information related to your website. Optimize your website content and meta descriptions to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for those keywords.
  • Technical SEO: Ensure your website has a clean and mobile-friendly design, fast loading speed, and proper indexing by search engines.
  • Content Quality: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that provides value to your target audience. This will not only attract visitors but also encourage them to stay longer and come back for more.
  • Backlinks: Having other websites link back to yours improves your website’s authority in the eyes of search engines and can boost your ranking. If your company website is re-designed and connected to your existing domain, this should be unaffected!
  • Blog Posts and Articles: Regularly publish fresh content relevant to your niche. This establishes you as a thought leader and keeps visitors returning for new information.
  • Social Media Marketing: Promote your content on social media platforms to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website.
  • Email Marketing: Build an email list and send out targeted newsletters or promotions to keep your audience engaged and informed.
  • Mobile-friendliness: A significant portion of web browsing happens on mobile devices. Ensure your website has a responsive design that adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes.
  • Navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find the information they want with a clear and intuitive navigation system.
  • Page Speed: A slow-loading website can frustrate visitors and cause them to bounce (leave the website). Optimize your website for speed to ensure a positive user experience.
  • Visual Appeal: An aesthetically pleasing website with high-quality images and videos can capture attention and keep visitors engaged.
  • Paid Advertising: Consider running pay-per-click (PPC) ads or social media ads to target specific demographics and drive qualified traffic to your website.
  • Online Reputation Management: Positive reviews and online mentions can build trust and attract new visitors.
  • Offline Marketing: Promote your website through traditional marketing channels like brochures or business cards to reach a wider audience.

CHANGING YOUR DOMAIN NAME

In some cases, a company can decide to change the domain name of their website or have multiple domain names. This can be a valid thing to do but you have to consider the following:

  • Loss of Traffic: Existing visitors who know your website by its old domain name might struggle to find you after the switch. This can lead to a temporary drop in traffic.
  • SEO Impact: Search engines take time to recognize the new domain name and transfer the authority of the old one. Your website ranking in search results might be affected in the short term.
  • Brand Recognition: If your old domain name was well-established and part of your brand identity, changing it might cause confusion and dilute brand recognition.
  • Costs and Work: The process of changing the domain name itself involves technical steps and might require updates to marketing materials, business cards, and online listings.
  • Improved Branding: A new domain name can be an opportunity to create a more memorable or brand-aligned address.
  • Fresh Start: If the old domain name had negative associations, a new one can help shed the past and create a more positive image.
  • Better Availability: The new domain name might be shorter, easier to spell, or have a more relevant top-level domain (TLD) like “.com” or “.rw.”
    • Weigh the Pros and Cons: Before deciding, consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of changing your domain name.
    • Minimize Disruption: If you decide to proceed, implement a well-planned migration strategy to minimize traffic loss. Here are some tips:
      • Redirects: Redirect your website visitors from the old domain name to the new one. This tells search engines and visitors that the website has permanently moved.
      • Clear Communication: Announce the domain name change well in advance through all your communication channels (website, social media, email) to inform your audience.
      • Update Listings: Ensure all your online listings and marketing materials are updated with the new domain name.
    • SEO Optimization: Focus on creating high-quality content and building backlinks to your new website. This will help it regain its ranking in search results.

Biz Ops Rwanda has facilitated many website relaunches and we know what it takes to make your company website tick! You can check out our portfolio here: https://bizops.africa/our-portfolio/

If you follow this guide, your website re-design/re-launch should be a success. If you need more clarification on anything, please reach out to us: https://bizops.africa/contact/. I wish you all the best!

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