Toronto Web Design & Website Development Services

Recently we took a call from a prospective client who was unsure if he needed to have his company’s website redesigned. The company’s clients have recently started to complain about the website – issues such as slow load times, information was becoming hard to find, and the website wasn’t responding well to mobile devices. We asked the client when the last time the website was redesigned, to which he responded, 2009. Yes, he definitely needed a redesign.

Every year there are significant advances in website functionality. That’s not to say you need a website redesign every year, but you should be aware of what new functionality and features are available to you. At Rebel Trail, we always keep our clients informed of what’s new in the world of website development, and how the new functions and features may be of benefit to their website. Often, upgrading to these new features do not involve a full redesign, usually it’s just a tune up or ‘face lift’. However, if a client lets many years of these new functions slip by, then it can be more difficult to implement them, and a full redesign may be necessary.

On average, you should consider a redesign every 3 – 6 years depending on the size, popularity, and functionality of your website. This will keep the design fresh and the functionality current. You always want to stay one step ahead of your competition, so it’s a good idea to schedule a review of your competitor’s websites at least every quarter. Your potential customers will be looking at your competitor’s websites so you should always know how your website compares.

If your company goes through any kind of re-branding initiative, or even changes their logo, this is a good time to revamp the website as well. You always want to ensure that your marketing is consistent through all your platforms, so if a change is made on one platform, it should be made for them all. Certainly, if your website is not responsive you should immediately seek a redesign initiative. Responsive websites are those that automatically change their layout depending on the device that views it. In this case a website will look different on a desktop computer versus a mobile phone. Even Google now penalizes websites that are not responsive, so potential customers will have a harder time finding you if your website does not have this feature.

If it’s been over 5 years since your last website redesign, you’ll also want to look at your hosting – specifically if your web server has not been upgraded in that time. Web servers do have a limited shelf life, and the older they are, the more susceptible they are to performance issues, slow load times and crashes. Each time you redesign your website you should upgrade your hosting as well. Make sure you are on a modern web server that’s fully secure and uses today’s platform standards. Not only will this provide you with more functionality for your website, but your customers will enjoy the boost in speed and security.

At Rebel Trail, our websites are designed to stand the test of time, but that doesn’t mean they should! Your website should grow with your business and automate manual redundant tasks. It should attract customers like a super magnet, and streamline your communications and work flow processes. If it’s not, then perhaps its time to consider a redesign. To explore the benefits of a website redesign project, contact Rebel Trail today!

Have you ever tried to build a house without a blueprint? How about constructing Ikea furniture without instructions? Or better yet, have you ever tried driving to Mississauga without a map or GPS? These are all challenging tasks, but without the proper guidance or planning, they can all become downright impossible. The same could be said for developing your web design project without a flowchart - sure it can be done, but the end result will not be pretty. In fact, the flowchart is the most critical part to your website development project, and without it, there's very little chance your website design project will be a success.

2019 will be an exciting year for the Toronto Web Development industry. There are so many innovative functions and tools coming this year that you will immediately want to redesign your existing website to incorporate all that 2019 will have to offer. So let's take a look at what will power your website project this year.

The mobile website development market will continue to gain ground this year, which is good news for any website that features a responsive design. If your website design is not responsive, then you can expect a significant slide in your Google page rankings. In 2018, the mobile website viewing audience surpassed its desktop counterpart, and Google started to reward mobile-friendly websites with higher placement in the search engine rankings. Now more than ever, you need to have mobile compliance with your Toronto website development project- it will be the single greatest contributor to achieving top results with the search engines.

As 2018 comes to a close it is timely to look back at the year and contemplate the trends and technologies that dominated the Toronto web design landscape. It is this reflection that may give us a glimpse into what 2019 has in store, and what new trends may be worth investing for your Toronto web development project in the new year.

One of the fastest growth sectors in the Toronto web design market is in the area of LMS and e-learning systems. LMS is an acronym for 'Learning Management System" and e-learning and e-testing systems are basically referring to the same sort of application. While there are a number of out-of-the-box solutions that will provide these functions for your Toronto website development project, more users find that these systems are restrictive and cannot perform critical custom functionality that is normally required of a full LMS solution.

In the Toronto web design creative and technical environment, the terms “UI” (User Interface) and “UX” (User Experience) are being used more than ever. While they seem new, these terms are referring to specialties and ideas that have been around for years prior to the introduction of the acronyms in the Toronto website development market.

With the current landscape of Toronto Web Design it's difficult to tell when its time to give your website a fresh new design. There are also many factors to consider such as your current Toronto web design versus that of your competitors as well as the overall functionality your website utilizes. Upgrading the functionality of your website is just as important as keeping the website design current. Further, there are always new technologies that can vastly improve your website's performance, and if left ignored, these can benefit your competitors rather than you. At Rebel Trail Web Design, we have complied the top 4 signs your Toronto Web Design is in need of a refresh.

Hardly a day goes by without web design Toronto companies receiving a call from a prospective client that is looking for a 'WordPress Website'. Every web design Toronto firm should know this platform very well and should also have a number of web development projects that have been exclusively designed for this system. WordPress provides the environment for simple content management as well as a host of other display and functional tools for the Toronto website designer. However it does have it's limitations - and that's something your website designer Toronto should let you know.