Website lingo and services can be confusing, and overwhelming! We are always getting inquiries for one thing, but during consultations it’s revealed that the client actually wants something completely different. This issue is exactly why we have decided to add a website lingo breakdown to our blog posts! Check back for more terms and definitions later in our series.
Starting off our new segment we are talking about the difference between a Redesign or a Renovation. Yes there is a big difference between the two! In plain and simple terms, if you think of your website like a house, a rebuild would be taking out walls, adding rooms, changing the physical layout. Whereas a redesign of a house is changing the design, the furniture, the aesthetic, the vibes of the house.
Website Redesign: This can be anywhere from (but not limited to) changing up the site with new branding or theme, updating photos and content and updating the visual aspect of the overall website. This service keeps the bones of the website but refreshes it like repainting and redesigning the interior rooms of your home.
Website Renovation: This is where new pages, removing old ones, changing the structure or the "bones" of the website comes into play. A rebuild is a bigger project, and requires more time and effort to complete. Rebuilds do involve design improvements but we have worked on sites where the client retains their original design and we build out the new parts.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when trying to figure out your website’s needs:
Is my branding new or out of date but I like my website?
Yes? Time for a redesign!
Is my layout clear and easy to use?
No? Time for a renovation!
Are my visuals and my content consistent with my business today?
No? Time for a redesign!
Is my website outdated or on another platform?
Yes? Time for a renovation
Redesigns and Renovations can work beautifully together to completely revamp an old site, but doing them separately can also meet the needs you are seeking for.
An example of a combo is a big project we did last year for Food Banks BC . This started out as a redesign but turned into a combo of build and design. Why did it change? The client wanted to develop new areas for their partner campaigns, donations and impact campaigns, which resulted in us rebuilding the structure, navigation, flow of content and call to actions for the website. We also worked on a private members only resource area their Foodbank members could log into as well as a public resource area. Wix Content Management System is a powerful tool that we used heavily in this project.
While Redesigns and Renovations work well together and they sound similar the two services are vastly different. This is why we always make sure to have in-depth consultations with our clients and break down the terms of every service. This prevents any miscommunication, and makes sure that the expectations are clear.
If you are in need of some website help please book a free consultation with us and we will make sure to assist you in a clear, professional, and timely manner!