In Focus

9 steps to a successful site redesign

Marc S. Levitt
Websites Posted on April 01, 2009

Have a plan; be wary of technology

1. Start with a plan
Just like blueprints in architecture, a properly executed plan shows you how the new site will function before it's built. It is far easier to move a wall during the planning stage, as opposed to an actual wall during the construction phase.

Those same principles apply to websites. Intense focus should be placed on a site's functionality and content before the more subjective design phase begins.

Below is a sample plan our agency prepares in the early stages of our web projects. The overall plan view shows every page in the website, focusing on navigation and sub-navigation.


 
2. Don't be seduced by technology
A website that is well thought out and easy to navigate will always outperform the latest technology in the long run. Hot technology features should be integrated only if they serve the needs of the site. Don't feel that you need to include the latest feature du jour just because everyone else is doing it. Forget about dancing babies and dazzling light shows.

In the end, it's the clarity and overall "stickiness" of the content and ease-of-use that will make the best impressions.

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Comments

Kathy Hnatiuk
Kathy Hnatiuk April 1, 2009 at 8:53 PM

Thank you. Timely article. Could not agree more, it felt like we were in a conversation doing a debrief of what remains important. I just finished my day having a new client do a 180 on their strategy following a meeting with a "government insider" on the best approach for their proposed project. They now want to throw something up, no strategy, no plan, no postioning quick and cheap...
This article was a perfect reminder not to sellout. thanks

Jan Riley
Jan Riley April 1, 2009 at 12:37 PM

Mark - great article! This was a very good layout of elements to pay attention to. The focus on communication rather than technology is dead on.

I have these same kind of conversations with every business I work with. Sometimes I feel like screaming from the rooftops:

"Your website is not a brochure, a novelty item or a commercial. It can however, be a central hub for marketing, branding and communication which will make your company more money"

Its a simple concept really

If people do not connect with your message they will not interact with you, if they cannot navigate your site they will quit trying to interact with you and without this interaction you cannot make sales.

Thanks for this great article, extremely well written and easy to understand. It is similar to an article I wrote called "It's not the internet it's how you use the tools" http://www.leadmastersusa.com/Article_Internet_tools.html

Guillermo Corea
Guillermo Corea April 1, 2009 at 9:53 AM

Great article! I couldn't agree with you more that detail planning is key to launching a successful website. Building a website is like building a house. I've encountered so many situations in which clients do not want to take the time to come up with detail requirements. They'll say I need a multimedia page but don't go into the details of what they want on this multimedia page. If you were building a house are you going to tell the builder just to put a floor in the master bedroom. He would probably ask, do you want carpet or wood?

Rotating content is key to driving traffic. We've found this specially true with magazine websites.

Hiring a professional is very important. Yes, there are college students out there that know how to get a site up because they know how to write code or work their magic with Photoshop. However, I doubt that they'll be able to think in strategic terms about your site.