Unpacking the Website Upgrade Dilemma: Replatform, Refresh, or Redesign?
Is your website feeling a bit... prehistoric? In the ever-changing digital landscape, staying relevant is key to survival. But fear not, fellow trailblazers! Monkee-Boy is here to guide you through the lush foliage of website evolution options. Whether you're looking for a quick grooming session or a full-scale transformation, we have the tools to help your online presence swing from good to great. Let's explore three paths to a better digital experience: website re-platforming, refreshing, and redesigning.
The Website Replatform: A Backend Makeover
A website replatform is similar to putting a new, more fuel-efficient engine in an old car. You don't change how the car looks, but performance and upkeep become much easier. That's re-platforming in a nutshell. It's perfect when your site's insides creak like an old treehouse, but the exterior still looks ship-shape. A replatform can be from any CMS to WordPress - WordPress to WordPress if your current theme is clunky).
Website Replatform At-a-Glance
| DIGITAL STRATEGY | SITE DESIGN | WEB CONTENT | CMS BACKEND |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light. Our team will assume that your basic design, content, and structure are where they need to be. This may be |
Similar to current site. Our team will clean up the design to fix any obvious ADA compliance and mobile issues, but otherwise, the design will remain very similar to what exists. |
Same as current site. Unless there are any obvious issues, we will keep your site architecture and content the same. |
100% new! Our team rebuilds a custom, high-performing, enterprise-grade WordPress theme and content tools for easy content management. |
Pros:
- Speedy and budget-friendly: No need to plan for a long jungle trek. Less strategic thinking and exploration equates to a faster launch & smaller relative investment.
- ADA compliance: We'll ensure every digital creature can access your site.
- Performance boost: Your site will run smoother than a well-oiled banana peel slide.
- Easy updates: Your team can manage content faster and more efficiently.
Cons:
- Design & Content Assumptions: This approach assumes your design and content work well for the current audiences.
- Limited exploration: We won't venture off the beaten path of your current site design, structure, and content.
Monkey Fact: Did you know that 98.1% of homepages have detectable accessibility issues? That's like having a treehouse with no ladder! A website replatform can help quickly close any ADA compliance gaps and be much less expensive than trying to fix accessibility retroactively.
The Website Refresh: A Digital Facelift
Think of a refresh as giving your website a stylish new outfit and a fresh haircut. We'll assume your content & structure are sound and spruce up the design and make it accessible to all your digital visitors to ensure it looks great whether viewed on a smartphone or a jumbotron.
Website Refresh At-a-Glance
| DIGITAL STRATEGY | SITE DESIGN | WEB CONTENT | CMS BACKEND |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-to-medium. Our team will examine your content, brand, audiences, and competition before jumping in to design your new experience. |
Upgraded! Our team will design a new, accessible look and feel for your site based on your site's current content. |
Same as current site. We keep your site architecture (sections & pages) and page-based content the same unless there are any obvious issues. |
100% new! Our team rebuilds a custom, high-performing, enterprise-grade WordPress theme and content tools for easy content management. |
Pros:
- New threads: Your site will sport a fresh, fully accessible look that turns heads in the digital canopy.
- ADA compliance: There's nothing better than a great-looking website that is also fully-inclusive to all users in the jungle.
- Wallet-friendly: It is a smaller investment than a full redesign but still gives you that "new site" smell.
- Easy ongoing management: Your site will be easier to wrangle than a barrel of monkeys.
Cons:
- Design-focused: We'll be working mainly on the surface level, like painting a treehouse without rebuilding it. Exploration of new ideas will be limited.
- Content Assumptions: This approach assumes your content is working well and where it needs to be for your organizational goals.
Banana for Thought: 53% of mobile users will abandon ship if your site takes more than three seconds to load. That's faster than you can say "Ooh ooh ah ah!" High-performance matters - make it a priority.
The Full Website Redesign: Digital Reincarnation
When it comes to giving your online presence a complete overhaul, a full website redesign is the ultimate evolution. It's like swapping your old treehouse for a state-of-the-art jungle mansion. We'll dive deep into research about your audience, analytics, competitors, brand, and content, leaving no digital stone unturned.
Website Redesign At-a-Glance
| DIGITAL STRATEGY | SITE DESIGN | WEB CONTENT | CMS BACKEND |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive! Our team will take a step back, evaluate what is/isn't working, examine your audiences and competition, and perform a full diagnostic test before making recommendations. |
100% new! Our team will design a new, accessible look and feel based on our diagnostic findings to ensure your company stands out. |
Refreshed! Ahhh... Our team will help you determine what content to keep, edit, remove, and reorganize to provide full content governance services throughout the project. |
100% new! Our team builds a new, fully custom, high-performing, enterprise-grade WordPress theme with all the custom content tools and advanced integrations your organization needs to thrive. |
Pros:
- Comprehensive research: We'll study your user journeys and digital ecosystem like Jane Goodall observing chimps.
- Valuable insights: Pragmatic, in-depth research leads to incredible discoveries. These findings and recommendations will lead your organization to digital higher ground.
- Content strategy: We'll ensure your message resonates louder than a gorilla's chest-beat.
- Advanced integrations: More bells and whistles to capture leads, automate tasks, and streamline your monkee-business.
- Fewest dependencies: Full redesigns provide the most long-term flexibility due to the holistic digital strategy & implementation.
Cons:
- Higher investment: Yes, website redesigns take more thinking & doing so ultimately costs more bananas, but the results will be a-peel-ing, bulletproof and provide sustained digital evolution.
- Longer timeline: Digital exploration, collaboration, and a high-quality product take time. Tail as old as time.
Did You Know... On average, a well-planned and custom built website can last 2-3x longer than a customized off-the-shelf (OTS) theme, be much easier to use, and deliver better results? The right digital strategy and application of findings & recommendations can make a HUGE difference.
So, What's It Gonna Be?
Whether you're after a quick spruce-up, a fancy new outfit, or a complete digital metamorphosis, there's a path through the jungle that's perfect for you. By understanding the nuances of re-platforming, refreshing, and redesigning, we can help you make a choice that'll have your website swinging from tree to tree with the best of them.
Ready to evolve your online presence and leave your competitors in the digital dust? Let's grab our virtual machetes and start blazing trails! After all, in the wild world of the web—you evolve or go extinct. And with Monkee-Boy as your guide, you'll be king of the digital jungle in no time!
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