How You Should Pitch a Company Website Redesign to Your Boss

Business cards just don’t do it like they used to. When you’re ready to bring in new customers, it’s time to revamp your website.

A company’s website is its first impression, and it can either help you make a new connection with a potential customer or send a would-be client running for the hills. According to Adobe’s annual content report, 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is “unattractive.” As an employee, it can be intimidating to pitch a website redesign to your boss, but if you do it the right way, you’ll be the reason your company brings in new business.

If you think your company’s website is due for an upgrade, start devising a plan to redesign it. It’s important to show where the current website falls flat, how you plan to update it, and why it’s worth redesigning in the first place. Back-up your claims with examples and data to give you the best shot at a new company website.

Show Proof of Your Current Website’s Shortcomings

It’s crucial that you start by tracking your current website’s performance. It’s possible that the current website might be old-fashioned or minimalistic, but it might be well-received by your company’s customer base more than you know. You can track the website’s performance to create a report that determines its success or failure. If the site isn’t helping your company meet its goals, depict that in the report in terms of key performance indicators (KPIs) that will resonate with your boss.

Some web KPIs that you can use include:

• Repeat Visits
• Time Spent Per Visit
• Page Views
• Bounce Rate
• SEO Performance
• And More

You know your boss, so do your best to speak your boss’s language when you propose a website redesign. Let your boss know about the damage an outdated and dysfunctional website can have on profits.

• Web pages that take longer than three seconds to load lose 53% of mobile users.
• 60% of marketers say that SEO is their highest quality source of leads.
• 94%of a website user’s first impressions are design-related.

[Related: When to Know It’s Time for a Website Redesign]

An outdated website can make your company seem out-of-touch with the digital world we live in, and it can diminish brand credibility. Suppose a potential customer visits your website and gets frustrated with slow load times or unattractive design. In that case, that customer will get what they need from another company, and that’s something your boss should become aware of.

Explain How a Website Redesign Would Help Your Company Reach Its Goals

Once you’ve explained how your old site is ineffective in terms of company goals, the next step is to demonstrate to your boss how a website redesign would benefit your company in terms of its goals.

Explain that a business’s look, feel, and aesthetic are elements that elevate it from a business to a brand with professional credibility. However, don’t spend too long discussing aspects of the site that can’t be quantified. Focus on revenue, profits, and the bottom line – metrics that measure company growth.

An organized report detailing the pitfalls of the current site and how they can be mitigated with a new site will be your best bet at getting your pitch to stick. Structure your report around company goals and whether or not each site helps reach those goals. Provide quantifiable projections that show growth in KPIs. Make sure not to set expectations too high and project results you are confident your company can handle.

[Related: Small Business Website Design Features Your Website Should Include]

Picking a Company to Redesign Your Website

If your boss likes your pitch, you should have a company in mind that can turn your ideas into reality. Pick a web design company that keeps your company’s goals at the forefront of their work. A web design company like Catapult Creative Media Inc. can even help you expand on your ideas with their team of professional designers, writers, and strategists ready to offer a new perspective.

When you find aspects of your company that can be improved, it’s important to bring them up to your supervisor, but make sure you bring a solution to the table instead of just mentioning an issue. This way, your boss will know you put time and effort into envisioning and planning how the company will benefit from your proposed changes.

Caroline Savoie is a copywriter at Catapult and a news reporter for LSU’s Reveille. She’s a journalism senior at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and a Slytherin with a love for AP News and Hunter S. Thompson.

Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving clients over the United States but is proud to call Baton Rouge, Louisiana home. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.