Get Specific With Your Website Redesign Goals
When it comes to websites — and online marketing as a whole — vague goals lead to vague results.
Many organizations decide it’s time for a website redesign because:
- The site feels outdated
- Conversions aren’t where they want them to be
- The website no longer reflects who they are
- Someone internally says, “We just need something different”
Some of these reasons point toward real problems. Others are more about discomfort than strategy. The biggest issue we see, though, is this:
The goals for the website — or the business — aren’t clearly defined or shared.
And when that happens, redesigns can become expensive exercises in opinion instead of tools that move the organization forward.
Why Website Redesigns Require Clear Goals Now More Than Ever
Ten years ago, having a website that looked professional was often enough. A clean design and basic information gave your organization credibility.
That’s no longer the case.
Your website is expected to:
- Support real business goals
- Serve specific audiences
- Be accessible and mobile-friendly
- Load quickly
- Communicate trust instantly
- Deliver measurable results
Whether those results are donations, inquiries, applications, signups, or sales — your website must earn its keep.
A redesign without clear goals risks becoming:
- A design-by-committee project
- A visual refresh with no impact
- A site that looks better but performs the same
- A missed opportunity to improve ROI
The Problem With “We Just Need a New Website”
“We need a new website” is not a goal.
It’s a starting point — and a vague one.
Without specific goals, teams often run into:
- Disagreements about what “success” looks like
- Endless revisions based on personal preference
- Difficulty measuring whether the redesign worked
- Frustration between stakeholders and vendors
Clear goals create alignment. They give everyone — leadership, staff, designers, and developers — a shared target.
What Good Website Redesign Goals Look Like
Effective redesign goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Tied to real organizational needs
- Grounded in data or experience
Here are a few examples of strong, well-defined website redesign goals:
Example 1: Increase Online Donations
Increase website donations by 20% within 12 months by featuring the donate button more prominently, simplifying navigation, and streamlining the online donation form.
Why this works:
- It’s measurable
- It’s time-bound
- It connects design decisions to outcomes
- It keeps the focus on donor experience
Example 2: Improve Engagement
Increase average time on site by 30% by adding more educational blog content, improving internal linking, and embedding short videos that answer common questions.
Why this works:
- It focuses on user behavior
- It points toward specific content strategies
- It can be tracked through analytics
Example 3: Reduce Bounce Rate Through Better Navigation
Reduce bounce rate by 15% by restructuring site navigation to align with user needs identified through customer surveys and search data.
Why this works:
- It’s user-centered
- It relies on research, not assumptions
- It ties UX decisions to measurable improvement
Notice what all of these goals have in common:
They can be evaluated before and after the redesign.
Why Measurable Goals Matter
If you can’t measure success, you can’t know whether the redesign worked.
Before starting a redesign, it’s important to capture baseline data such as:
- Website traffic
- Conversion rates
- Donation totals
- Time on site
- Bounce rate
- Form submissions
- Newsletter signups
Tools like Google Analytics, donation platforms, CRM systems, and email marketing tools provide this data.
After launch, you can compare results and answer important questions:
- Did the redesign improve outcomes?
- Which changes had the biggest impact?
- What should we refine next?
This turns your website into an evolving tool — not a static project.
Your Redesign Can Have More Than One Goal (But Not Infinite Goals)
A website redesign will always involve:
- Visual updates
- Content cleanup
- Brand alignment
- Accessibility improvements
- Technical upgrades
Those are part of the process.
But if everything is a priority, nothing is.
It’s okay — even healthy — to identify one primary goal and a few secondary goals. That focus helps guide decisions when trade-offs inevitably come up.
When faced with a question like:
“Should we add this feature?”
You can ask:
“Does this support our primary goal?”
That clarity saves time, money, and frustration.
Common Redesign Goals Organizations Overlook
Some goals don’t get discussed often enough — but they matter deeply.
You might also consider goals like:
- Making content easier for staff to update
- Improving accessibility for all users
- Reducing confusion for first-time visitors
- Supporting mobile users more effectively
- Aligning the website with updated branding
- Clarifying who the site is for (and who it isn’t)
These goals may be harder to quantify, but they still influence real outcomes like trust, usability, and staff efficiency.
Get Internal Alignment Before You Call a Web Developer
Before contacting a website company or agency, have internal conversations first.
Ask:
- What is our organization trying to accomplish this year?
- What role should the website play in that?
- What’s not working about the current site?
- How will we define success?
When leadership, staff, and stakeholders share clarity, the redesign process becomes smoother — and far more effective.
A Redesign Is a Strategic Decision, Not a Cosmetic One
Design trends will change.
Technology will evolve.
But a website grounded in clear, specific goals will continue to serve your organization long after launch.
The look matters — but the purpose matters more.
Need Help Clarifying Your Website Redesign Goals?
If you’re considering a redesign and want help turning big ideas into clear, actionable goals, we can help.
Get in touch here to talk through what success could look like for your website — before a single design decision is made.