However, before you drag out Dreamweaver and start drooling over template designs, you need to think carefully about what you're about to do. You'll want the best results for the money and time you'll be spending on the upgrade. To help you out, here are my five top dos and don'ts to help avoid the angst caused by making a wrong decision when conducting an e-commerce site makeover.

1. Don't Make the Same Mistakes Again (yours or other people's).
Since you originally launched your Web site you'll have noticed some of its limitations. There may not be room to add your blog, the navigation system might be crammed and overflowing or you might be finding that the process of adding new stock items just isn't working for you. While you've been operating your site, you've surely also seen other e-commerce Web sites and have a fair idea of what you like and don't like and what features you could "borrow" from other sites to add to your own.

Start by making a list of the things that need fixing on your site, features you'd like to add to it and those that should go. As well as writing down what you do want, write down what you don't want — this will help you see more clearly the direction in which you should be heading and will help you brief a Web designer if you plan to hire one to do the makeover.

Spend some time analyzing your current site. Look at is as your visitors see it — try shopping for a particular product and go through your checkout process. Ask yourself if the process is smooth and easy. If it isn't, what would make it so? Check out other companies' shopping carts for comparison. Now is the time to remove any barriers that might prevent your customers from completing their purchase.

When analyzing a Web site's functionality, try out your own shopping experience and make improvements. Also, see what you can learn from others like we're doing here at Smartwool.com. (Click for larger image.)

Count the number of clicks it takes for a visitor to get from your home page to the point of purchasing a product and then do the same on your competitors' Web sites and compare the results. If your site takes more clicks, your site hierarchy may need flattening so you get your visitors to your products more quickly.

Look at your site analytics to see what you can learn from them about how visitors enter your site, your conversion rates and your popular pages and make adjustments accordingly.

2. Do Make A Plan.
The old adage that "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is relevant to Web site design. A Web site makeover, whether you do it yourself or pay someone to do it for you, will only be as good as the plan you make.

Revisit the basics by determining who your audience is, what your goals are for your site and what you expect the site to achieve. Determine the scope of the project and list what will be included in the makeover.

Map out the changes that need to be made. You may want to rework the arrangement of your products or how they are displayed on your product pages, for example, so sketch out what the pages might look like. You will need these designs to be able to code your site yourself and they'll be an excellent starting point for discussions with your Web site designer if you hire one.

3. Don't Waste Money.
In tough economic times, it's prudent to look to how you spend your money. Over its lifespan, your Web site makeover has to produce a return on the money that you have invested in it. When cash is short, look to implementing components that add value to your site ahead of those that are simple window dressing. For example, money spent on search engine optimization to attract new customers might be more valuable than a Flash intro.

Blogs are gaining traction as a useful marketing tool for e-commerce so it makes sense to include one in a Web redesign. Here Scrapbook.com seamlessly blends its blogs with its storefront. (Click for larger image.)

Whey you're pricing add-on items for your site, be aware that some, for instance a blog and an e-mail newsletter, have a cost beyond the cost of including them on your site. These require ongoing attention in terms of the time it takes to post to the blog and write the newsletter so the labor involved needs to be factored in as well.

4. Don't Frustrate Existing Customers.
Your existing customers, particularly regular customers, are used to the layout and design of your Web shop. To smooth the transition to your new site for them, keep them informed about your plans and consider enlisting their help in the process. You will get better buy-in from them if they think they've had a hand in its development.

When planning a redesign, enlist help from your customers by asking them what improvements could be made through a tool such as Kampyle. (Click for larger image.)

You can ask for feedback from them regarding changes they'd like to see at the site using a program such as Kampyle. You may find that your customers have different insights into the changes needed to your site than you do — and considering you've designed the site for their shopping experience — it pays to listen to what they have to say.

Other ways to avoid frustrating your customers include not breaking the links that they are used to using and that they may have bookmarked. If you have a products page called products.html and suddenly decide to call it a different name, you'll find customers who have bookmarked that page — and you won't know who they are or that they've done this — won't be able to get to that page any more.

When you remove pages from your Web site, visitors may encounter errors when trying to load the page — a 404 page or a redirect are the best options for recovering gracefully as VictoriasSecret.com does. (Click for larger image.)

5. Do Take Advantage of the Change.
When you're planning your Web site design, consider the new technologies available since your Web site was first created. A few years ago, blogs were not the powerful tool they are today, so a blog maybe a worthwhile addition to your site. Other techniques and technologies are on the wane, for example, it is inadvisable to use pop-up windows because most browsers block them and JavaScript may not work for all visitors. In addition, most visitors are browsing using higher resolution monitors than a few years ago so page size may be able to be increased.

Other tools to consider include RSS feeds, which can be used to alert visitors to new products and information relevant to their needs. Other desirable changes may exist behind the scenes of your Web site. If you create custom pages for all the products in your existing site, it may be time to move to a content management system where you enter product details into a database rather than direct onto the page. In other cases upgrading to a more sophisticated inventory system may be desirable.

A Web site makeover is a good time to tell your customers you've listened to their feedback and created a new look for your online store to improve their shopping experience. It is a good reason to e-mail your customers to invite them to try out the new store so offer some "specials" for the first weeks after the launch.

Helen Bradley is a respected international journalist writing regularly for small business and computer publications in the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK and Australia. You can learn more about her at her Web site, HelenBradley.com.