10 mistakes not to make during a digital redesign strategy

Introduction

The redesign of its site, web application or mobile application is a step that should not be overlooked for any digital company wishing to modernise its image, improve the user experience And stay Competitive on its market.

However, it is an approach that can be complex and can lead to pitfalls if it is not approached carefully. It is essential to follow a coherent digital redesign strategy for your goals to be achieved.

In this article, we'll explore the 10 most common mistakes to avoid when implementing a digital redesign strategy.

From neglecting user needs to underestimating the testing phase to poor change management, we'll highlight these common mistakes and provide practical tips for working around them.

‍

1- Properly frame your redesign project:

To start, you need to establish a action plan, of objectives, a specifications or even a solid roadmap. It is imperative to clearly define your goals during the scoping phase of your redesign project. Why do you want to undertake this redesign? What results do you expect for your digital product?

‍

• A quick return on investment? Your website or any other digital product that you own plays the role of a showcase for your business. A well-designed interface will allow you to gain visibility and conversions.

• An efficient conversion process? For it to be effective, it is essential to optimize and speed up the conversion journeys for your customers.

• Acquiring new customers? Encouraging the desire to come back or explore features through a modern interface promotes the acquisition of new customers.

• Increase customer retention? An interface with impeccable ergonomics and usability can encourage you to stay longer and continue to use your digital product.

• Optimizing development time? A well-thought-out design can improve the efficiency of the development process.

‍

Without the right framework, your goals are unclear and can lead to inaccurate results and a loss of direction, which in turn leads to poor resource allocation and a lack of efficiency. A solid roadmap is essential to plan the various stages of the project and to stay on track.

Finally, a Release plan detailed is needed to sequence design and development work by highlighting, functionalities, technical requirements and customer expectations.

Framing your project well is time-consuming, but essential, you can already save time by starting your scoping with our tool, which will give you, in 1 minute, depending on your parameters, the procedure to follow to start your redesign.

‍

‍

2- Build a team consistent with your goals:

The choice of the team for a redesign project is made in accordance with the size and complexity of the project, as well as with the skills required, the available resources and the budgetary constraints.

‍

Internal recruitment:

Advantage

Internally, you will benefit from a team dedicated to your project and full-time, they will be able to devote themselves entirely to redesigning the product.

This ensures a constant availability of resources and increased expertise thanks to the in-depth knowledge of the project. If you have constant design needs for your product, recruiting a permanent contract is a good idea and will remain a good investment in the long term.

Disadvantage

On the other hand, if your product requires occasional changes, you will not be able to satisfy an internal person. This leads to an underuse of skills and resources, in the end, it costs you more.

‍

Freelance:

Advantage

A freelancer = flexibility. By hiring an independent professional, you have the possibility to adapt resources according to the specific needs of the project.

This allows you to benefit from specialized skills for specific tasks without having to hire a full-time employee. In addition, freelancers are often versatile and can bring expertise in several areas, which can be beneficial for a comprehensive digital redesign strategy.

Disadvantage

First of all, availability can be a challenge, especially if the freelancer is working on several projects at the same time. Delays may result in deliverables or communication difficulties.

Moreover, coordinating and managing freelancers can be more complex than when working with an internal team. It may be necessary to establish clear processes for collaboration, communication, and follow-up in order to ensure good coordination and overall coherence.

Finally, the costs may be higher with freelancers, as their hourly rates may be higher than the wages of a full-time employee.

But also, it is important to clearly define the terms of the contract and to ensure that the deliverables, deadlines and expectations are clearly defined to avoid any misunderstanding or budget overruns.

‍

Agency:

Advantage

If you decide to choose an agency specialized in UX/UI design, you will benefit from comprehensive support and advice on the method throughout the project. Agencies offer comprehensive expertise and a wealth of experience in managing projects similar to yours.

They can manage all aspects of the project, including visual design, technical development, feature integration, testing, and maintenance. A simplified coordination structure and overall coherence in the project.

In addition, with an agency you can more easily take charge with a flexible work team that can easily and quickly expand according to your needs.

Disadvantage

The cost may be higher compared to hiring a freelancer or creating or building an internal team. It is therefore important to carefully assess the available budget and to ensure that the costs are in line with expectations.

It is also important to ensure that the agency fully understands your goals and expectations, in order to avoid any deviation from your specific needs.

3- Conduct a thorough UX audit of your product before the redesign:

Auditing the user experience (UX) is a step that should not be overlooked for several reasons.

First of all, it allows you to detect weak spots of your website that can hinder the experience. By identifying these problems, you can then put in place appropriate solutions to solve them and improve the satisfaction of your users.

In addition, the audit of the existing system will also allow us to focus on strengths of your product. The positive aspects can be reinforced or further integrated into your redesign. This will allow you to create a smooth, enjoyable, and engaging user interaction.

Finally, it provides you with a solid foundation on which to build your redesign strategy. By understanding the needs and expectations of your customers, as well as the current gaps in the product, you can set clear goals and develop a solid road map.

To find out more, I'll let you take a look at our article entirely dedicated to UX auditing:

‍

‍

‍

4- Take into account the feelings and opinions of your users:

It is essential to make the customer feel listened to and understood throughout their experience, as this leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Otherwise, you risk offering a solution that does not meet their expectations. This could lead to a disappointing experience, frustration, and even loss of audience.

By understanding their concerns, goals, and preferences, you will be able to design ergonomics that are truly tailored to them.

‍

‍

5- Conduct ergonomic, quantitative and qualitative tests:

As part of a digital redesign strategy, it is essential not to neglect ergonomic tests before launching on the market.

Thus, from the first stages of design and development, it is imperative to involve users and gather their feedback to ensure a product that truly meets their needs and expectations, thus promoting its adoption and satisfaction.

For testing, it is common to combine qualitative and quantitative studies in order to gain a thorough understanding of behaviors and opinions.

Quantitative studies:

Quantitative studies are based on numerical data and objective measurements. They may involve questionnaires, online surveys, or efficiency tests. Their goals: to measure the effectiveness of an interface, a feature or the overall satisfaction of users.

During these studies, we analyze the completion rate of user journeys, the time required to complete them, as well as any difficulties encountered. We pay particular attention to theaccessibility and usability new features.

With this in mind, we carry out heatmap tests in order to visualize the heat zones (the most frequently used) and the cold zones (the least used) of the prototype. We use other methods such as A/B testing, which allows us to determine which version of the interface is preferred by our target audience.

Qualitative studies:

Qualitative studies focus on the in-depth exploration of experiences, motivations, and perceptions.

To obtain optimal results, we can set up guerrilla tests, which means collecting user feedback in real conditions of use, such as on the street, on the bus or at home. You get more authentic and relevant feedback. Many other tests are carried out to gather their feelings.

Thanks to this we are in a position to optimize the user experience, to anticipate potential problems and to respond more effectively to the expectations of our customers. Thus, customer satisfaction is strengthened, promoting the adoption of the product and increasing its popularity.

For more information on usability tests, I invite you to consult one of our projects where we carried out tests for our client Eiffage Ggénie Civil:

6- Establishing priorities for functionalities:

During a redesign, if you don't establish a release plan, you can cause a loss of focus, where efforts and resources are scattered on less important features.

Deadlines are often missed when developing multiple functionalities in parallel. This can lead to dissatisfaction if they are not developed in priority.

The lack of prioritization leads to cognitive overload for users and additional costs for the business. Establishing a solid prioritization plan is essential for maximizing product value and effectively managing resources.

To avoid these problems, a Release plan is essential. It consists of planning and organizing the implementation of a new version of the product, determining the sequence, delivery schedule, and services included in each version. A well-executed release plan allows for structured step-by-step management of updates and improvements, ensuring product efficiency and project success.

‍

‍

‍

7- Involve key stakeholders:

Involving key stakeholders from the early stages of a digital redesign is essential. This includes the users, thedevelopment team, the marketing specialists And the decision makers of the company. Excluding them can lead to misunderstandings, resistance to change, and limited adoption of the new product.

On the other hand, involving them allows you to benefit from their perspectives, their knowledge and their ideas.

The active participation of users and your internal team is essential during a digital redesign. Their expertise guides design decisions for a suitable product. Involving stakeholders promotes effective communication, successful adoption and a smooth transition to the redesign of your digital site.

In short, this involvement maximizes benefits by aligning business goals with user needs, through transparent communication, close collaboration and consideration of different perspectives.

‍

8- Constantly analyze your results (KPI):

If you neglect to measure results, it becomes difficult to track your goals and adjust the marketing and digital redesign strategy accordingly. KPIs can include metrics such as the conversion rate, the average time spent on the site, the number of new registrations, or even the user retention rate.

The recommendations

By following these indicators, you can assess product satisfaction, the effectiveness of the new elements put in place and the overall impact of the digital redesign on your business goals.

A follow-up more regular and responsive of your results will allow you to more quickly detect possible problems or obstacles that the user may face. By being proactive, you can react in real time and avoid surprises that could compromise the effectiveness of your digital redesign strategy.

Establish a follow-up calendar of your performance in order to collect data at regular intervals and analyze it thoroughly.

This analysis will provide you with valuable information to make informed decisions, adjust the focus of strategy and continuously optimize your product to meet the needs and expectations of your audience.

In summary, define the relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) and follow them regularly in order to obtain concrete and objective data on the performance of the new product or platform.

‍

9- Propose a redesign with gradual and intuitive changes:

A digital redesign requires a balance betweenInnovation and familiarity to avoid disrupting the user and achieve a smooth transition. A change that is too sudden can have the opposite effect to what was intended.

Radical changes make the platform difficult to use, create confusion, and lead to lost productivity, increased errors, and decreased adoption. To avoid this, focus on gradual, intuitive changes that take into account ease of use.

Anticipate needs and expectations to facilitate the adoption of new uses. This reduces the frustration of learning a new platform or website.

‍

10- Ensure the follow-up of the product after its website, platform or application redesign:

And for the future?

After the redesign of your website or platform, do not neglect the continuous monitoring of the product. Make sure you stay up to date on new technologies and market developments. Benchmarking is essential to maintain the competitiveness and innovation of your product.

Continuing to improve the characteristics of your product is essential. Listen to customer feedback and take market developments into account.

This maintains the relevance of your product, anticipates user expectations, and sets you apart from the competition. Invest in continuous monitoring and improvement to ensure the sustainability and adaptability of your product.

‍

What we remember:

‍

1- Properly frame your redesign project

2- Build a team consistent with your goals

3- Conduct a thorough UX audit of your product before redesigning

4- Take into account the feelings and opinions of your users

5- Conduct ergonomic, quantitative and qualitative tests

6- Prioritize functionalities

7- Involve key stakeholders

8- Constantly analyze your results (KPI)

9- Propose a redesign with gradual and intuitive changes

10- Ensure the follow-up of the product after its website, platform or application redesign

‍

As you will have understood, it is complex to establish a good redesign strategy without a precise organization and skills based on several key elements.

A competent team is essential for a redesign. She understands your needs as a business and those of your customers. Choose a team adapted to the stage of development of your product and your business challenges.

After that, move on to setting up the services via a release plan. This includes producing and putting the product online, using UX/UI methods and technical skills adapted to the evolution of the project.

Finally, don't neglect the follow-up stage after launching your redesign. Follow up on a regular basis by following the steps outlined in this article and by being committed to continuous improvement. This will allow you to create a powerful digital product that meets the needs of your target.

‍

Do not hesitate to take a look at our numerous achievements!

‍