Redesigning Corporate Websites: Challenges & Best Practices
A corporate website is more than just a digital brochure—it is the foundation of your brand’s online presence. In today’s hyper-competitive digital landscape, businesses must continuously adapt to evolving user expectations, search engine algorithms, and technological standards. This is where website redesign comes into play.
But redesigning a corporate website isn’t as simple as changing the look and feel. It requires a strategic approach to maintain SEO rankings, improve responsiveness, ensure device compatibility, present content effectively, and guide visitors toward clear calls to action (CTAs).
Why Do Corporate Websites Need Redesigns?
Corporate websites need regular updates and redesigns for several reasons:
- Changing design trends: Outdated designs can make a brand look unprofessional.
- SEO updates: Google’s algorithms prioritize mobile-friendly, fast, and structured websites.
- User behavior shifts: Customers now demand seamless navigation and personalized experiences.
- Technology upgrades: Responsive frameworks and CMS platforms evolve quickly.
- Business growth: New services, products, and markets require updated digital representation.
Example: A financial services firm may need to redesign its site to highlight new fintech products while maintaining a professional, trust-building look.
Common Challenges in Redesigning Corporate Websites
1. Maintaining SEO Rankings
One of the biggest fears during a redesign is losing existing search engine visibility. If redirects aren’t handled correctly or content is removed without planning, organic traffic can drop significantly.
2. Ensuring Mobile Responsiveness and Device Compatibility
Corporate websites attract users from desktops, tablets, and smartphones. A design that looks perfect on one screen may break on another. Responsive design testing across devices is essential.
3. Balancing Design and Functionality
While design teams push for creativity, corporate websites must remain professional, structured, and easy to navigate. Striking this balance is challenging.
4. Content Migration and Presentation
Corporate websites often have hundreds of pages of content, from product descriptions to investor relations reports. Migrating, organizing, and presenting this content in a user-friendly way is a complex task.
5. Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Corporate websites serve multiple purposes—sales, recruitment, investor engagement, and customer support. Ensuring every audience segment has a clear next step can be tricky.
Example: A SaaS company must direct potential clients toward demos, while simultaneously offering career pages for job seekers.
Best Practices for a Successful Corporate Website Redesign
1. Plan with SEO in Mind from the Start
Audit Existing SEO Performance
- Identify high-ranking pages using tools like Google Search Console.
- Preserve and update content that drives organic traffic.
Use Proper Redirects
- Implement 301 redirects for old URLs.
- Maintain a clean sitemap and update it with Google.
Optimize Technical SEO
- Ensure proper heading structures (H1, H2, H3).
- Use schema markup for corporate information.
- Improve Core Web Vitals (page speed, interactivity, layout stability).
2. Focus on Responsive and Device-Compatible Design
Use a Mobile-First Approach
- Prioritize mobile users since they make up the majority of web traffic.
- Ensure fast load times with lightweight images and clean code.
Test Across Devices and Browsers
- Tools like BrowserStack can help check how your site looks on different devices.
3. Create a Content Strategy for Clear Presentation
Audit and Consolidate Content
- Remove duplicate or outdated pages.
- Merge thin content into stronger, in-depth pages.
Use Engaging Visual Hierarchies
- Break content into sections with headings, bullet points, and visuals.
- Highlight important information above the fold.
Write SEO-Optimized Copy
- Use target keywords naturally.
- Incorporate FAQs and long-tail search queries.
4. Strengthen Calls to Action (CTAs)
Use Strategic Placement
- Place CTAs at the top, middle, and end of key pages.
- Examples include “Request a Quote,” “Download Brochure,” or “Book a Demo.”
Make CTAs Clear and Compelling
- Use action-driven text: “Start Your Free Trial” instead of “Submit.”
- Create contrasting button colors to stand out.
Personalize CTAs
- Show different CTAs for new visitors versus returning clients.
5. Prioritize Security, Accessibility, and Compliance
Security Best Practices
- Use HTTPS with an SSL certificate.
- Regularly update CMS, plugins, and frameworks.
Accessibility Standards
- Follow WCAG 2.1 guidelines for text size, contrast, and navigation.
- Include alt text for images and captions for videos.
Industry Compliance
- Finance, healthcare, and government sites may need to follow strict regulations such as HIPAA or GDPR.
FAQs About Corporate Website Redesign
On average, 3 TO 4 weeks depending on the size, number of pages, and complexity.
Yes, if not handled properly. With correct redirects, content optimization, and SEO planning, rankings can improve instead of dropping.
Costs vary widely—anywhere from $1200 to $10,000+ depending on scale, custom development, and design requirements.
Refresh: Updating visuals, layouts, or content without changing the structure.
Redesign: A complete overhaul including design, functionality, content strategy, and backend development.
Typically every 2-3 years, depending on design trends, business growth, and technology updates.
Practical Example: A Corporate Website Redesign in Action
Consider the example of a multinational consulting firm:
- Challenge: Their website was outdated, non-responsive, and cluttered with redundant pages.
- Redesign Strategy:
- Conducted SEO audit to preserve ranking pages.
- Migrated 500+ pages into a clean, structured CMS.
- Implemented a responsive, mobile-first layout.
- Created clear CTAs for “Request Proposal” and “Careers.”
- Result: 40% increase in organic traffic, 30% more proposal requests, and improved brand perception.
Make Your Redesign Work for You
Redesigning a corporate website is a major undertaking, but when done strategically, it can transform your brand’s online presence. By prioritizing SEO, mobile responsiveness, content presentation, and strong CTAs, you can create a site that not only looks modern but also performs at the highest level.
Ready to take your corporate website to the next level? Contact our team of website redesign experts today and let’s build a site that works for your business goals.
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