How Often Should You Redesign Your Company's Web Site?

The easy answer is "more often than you think." Web sites are a process, not a product. You should constantly look for ways to improve your site — a tweak here, an update there. And if something isn't working, you need to fix it right away. There's no reason — and no excuse — to wait.

Even if you think the site is working fine, the Web changes so rapidly — in terms of design, technology, bandwidth, audience, and many other factors — that you simply can't afford to leave well enough alone.

You should reevaluate your site design every three months. If it's been a year since you've made major changes to your site, you're way past due for an overhaul.

Finally, remember that we're not just talking about changing a few graphics here and there. When you update your site, you need to rethink everything, including content, navigation, graphic design, publishing procedures, the tools you use, and even the site's goals and objectives.