Any business owner who has a website will begin at some point, to consider some website rehab work—or perhaps a complete overhaul. In the ever-changing world of online marketing, website aesthetics change over time and what seemed super-cool 4 years ago now seems a bit dated. That feeling is more than the changing tides of fashion. Over time, devices change, web hosting servers change, technical capabilities change, so if your website has not changed with it… it can begin to show its age.

If you’re wondering if it’s time for a website renovation, but are concerned about costs, keep the following money-saving ideas in mind:

If your site is built in WordPress, there’s no need to start from zero. The data of your site—the text content, media files, user logins, etc. stay put. It’s the layout that changes. This saves a LOT of time over beginning a new site from scratch.

Make a list of what you want from the new design. Is it more emphasis on marketing? Do you have great new photos to feature? New text copy? Or, maybe you just want it to look more modern and show better on a phone. These are all questions you want to get clear on before embarking on a re-do.

Keep it simple. I love website bells and whistles more than anyone… but just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “much much better”.

Invest in some consulting first. This is a biggie. A session or two discussing what you want can save big money on your project. More often than not, I’ve “talked down” clients who have a huge list of “nice to haves” that would have exploded their budget without providing much value. After all, how would a client know what web doohickeys (technical term) are a good value, or just costly gingerbread?

Most of the payoff in a website rebuild is under the hood. WordPress theme frameworks and plugins are advancing all the time. Replacing an older or custom theme with a premium theme framework (like StudioPress’ Genesis) can provide technical stability, better security and make it way easier to update content. This is really important if you have a team member doing routine content changes. Updating a page shouldn’t be a puzzler for them, as this wastes time – and may result in a call to your developer.

With a bit of forethought and prioritization, you can save big money when planning your next website redesign. If you’re considering a new look for your WordPress website, consider scheduling a consulting call first. You may be surprised to know what options are available and what will just waste your money.

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