Redesigning a Site for SEO: an Overview - Look and Feel
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What about the site's look and feel? You will probably have to make some changes to make sure the site's navigation works well and visitors flow smoothly through the site. Above and beyond that, you may need to give the site a "face-lift." What image does the site owner want to project? Browsing a bank's web site should feel different from browsing a web site that sells homemade dip mixes, for example. Both can (and should) project a certain feeling of professionalism, but they will have different "personalities."
Choose a color scheme and stick with it; templates can also be a big help here. The site's new image should fit the industry and the owner. Remember that your client can be a great resource for this. You might get an enormous amount of help from the site owner and have a truly pleasant experience.
For example, one SEO working on redesigning a web site for a client in the real estate business found inspiration for the redesign from a section of the client's old site. That section showed images from the company's "home staging" business, where rooms in homes were redone to get the home ready for listing. The SEO worked with his client to make the redesigned site look as tasteful, elegant, and welcoming as those rooms, starting with the color scheme from one of the photos.
Sadly, there's always the possibility that you and your client will end up with significant areas of disagreement. You might even find that your client is helpful about some things and adamant about others. Your client might be very attached to the site, especially if he designed it himself; it's his "baby" after all.
So be patient when you explain the changes you want to make; sometimes, when someone knows WHY you're doing something a certain way, they're a lot more reasonable about letting you do it. They might also come up with an idea for doing something that accomplishes the same goal in a better way. Always do your best, but remember that there's a reason for the old saying that "the customer is always right."
Next: Make the Website Helpful >>
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