If you have doubts that once made UI will be good enough for many years, then most likely you are right. In this article, we will tell you why the lack of redesign will be costly to your incomes and why it is essential to update the UI design regularly.
To begin with, do you need a UI design at all? You have a good, time-tested UX, that works well and provides a good conversion. Users know it well and like buying from you. So why to take the risk of a redesign? Is it so important that the color of buttons are no longer fashionable, and the background of the site does not look as fresh as five years ago? Will your website with an old UI design be more attractive than competitor sites? Will the application redesign be user-friendly?
5 Reasons Why the User Interface is Important
To begin with, we briefly recall why we create a beautiful and profitable design:
- “Good clothes open all doors.” Sophisticated or poorly designed site navigation can significantly increase your bounce rate.
- Great design – great business. Three user reactions are possible for each design: “Yes,” “No,” and “Wow!” The combination of all interface elements will cause one of them. It should come as no surprise that a “wow” response is what your business need.
- Content needs shaping. Useful content is your best marketing tool, that can influence the user. However, for better perception, it needs a stylish, modern, and high-quality design.
- User-friendly site search. Clear and consistent navigation is a basic requirement for the user interface. If it turns out to be challenging, most users won’t waste their time to puzzle out.
- Form and functionality are the ground! According to experts, the convenience and simplicity of the user interface = customer service of high-quality.
Why UI Redesign is Crucial for Marketing
So, maybe it's enough to create a high-quality design once and forever? Before you assure yourself of this mistaken opinion, consider the reasons for the interface redesign.
- The website is your company’s face. Users judge your success according to the way your website looks like. An outmoded interface will cast a shadow over customers' trust and loyalty and push them to your competitors' modern sites.
- Correction of the previous interface errors. This correction includes: graphics power, simplifying of navigation, redesign of other elements, which significantly affect traffic.
- Implementing of new technologies and functionality. The field of web development is developing rapidly, continually providing new opportunities for retaining and attracting customers to your site. It’s worth using these technologies to keep up with the times.
- Distinguish a site from competitors. The redesign allows you to stand out from competitors and make your website more attractive at a time when others hold on to old-fashioned interfaces.
- Increase in income. This point stems from the previous ones. The more efforts you expend to upgrade your UI, the more incoming traffic and ultimately profit you will earn.
In a rapidly changing environment, people are forming new expectations of how the user interface should work. And your website has to satisfy and surpass these expectations.
Additional Benefits of Regular UI Redesign:
- You will be aware of design trends and user expectations. To make a UI redesign, you will have to analyze your business and its online framing. After doing that you will better understand your target users, their expectations, and preferences. For example, a good idea is to use trendy UI animations to make your website more alive.
- UI refreshment reduces the cost of site developing. The reason for that is simple - right approach makes all elements of the UI design complement and strengthen each other.
- Well-connected and intuitive interface. You can also use ready-made UI patterns and templates conversion-oriented UI templates.
Studies made by an independent IT-research company Forrester show that on an average, every dollar invested in design brings $100 in profit.
Is a Good, Time-Tested UX Enough for your Website?
As practice shows, sites with old-fashioned interfaces are not able to keep up with modern, vibrant, intuitive competitors. They no longer look attractive to new customers and gradually lose old ones. As a matter of fact, a focus on the time-tested UX and permanent ignoring users’ preferences change, stem the flow of new customers. That means that UX redesign is crucial as well as UI update.
On the other hand, sites that competently fit into new trends win significantly. A lot of redesign examples like IBM, Move, etc. show a significant increase in traffic and profits after the upgrade. Would they have enjoyed the same popularity today, without well-timed investment in the redesign?
How Often Do I Need to Update the Site UI?
The optimal frequency of UI redesign is 3-5 years. A fair number of new technical solutions for site improvement come down the pike during this time.
NB: UI update does not mean that the previous one was unsuccessful. Changes indicate that your business keeps up with the times, and your site is modern enough to satisfy the current needs of new clients who are not familiar with your business yet.
If you decide to redesign your site, remember: it is better to work with trusted professionals who will make your website better, not vice versa.
28.08.2019
The images used in this article are taken from open sources and are used as illustrations.