Rethink that redesign

Before you consider a wholesale site redesign, think again. 

Most visitors to your site want to get things done. Because change makes that harder, they strongly dislike change. 

On the other hand, the most popular sites (e.g., Google, Amazon) make few radical changes but lots of small improvements over time, based on constant user testing. 

Sometimes a radical redesign is your only alternative. Most of the time, a continual incremental approach is best, based on testing and audience purpose.

Rule of thumb: redesign decisions based on aesthetics tend to be poorly grounded; those based on your audience's business purpose are usually well-grounded.   

Check out this and other common web misconceptions at UXMyths—34 of the most commonly-held misconceptions about web design succinctly debunked, with supporting evidence and links to further reading.