Vital Checklist for Website Redesign

Transcription

1 Vital Checklist fr Website Redesign By: Khrysti Nazzar, Directr f Optimized Services Fr Mre Infrmatin Please Visit

2 Intrductin Embarking n a website redesign prject is never an easy undertaking such prjects can be cumbersme, intimidating, and expensive. Getting apprval t start the prject is the first hurdle, but nce yu d then cmes the wrk f evaluating yur prject needs and establishing a strategy fr executin. Regardless f whether yu are utsurcing the prject r handling it internally, fr the average marketer r business wner knwing what needs t be taken int accunt fr a successful website redesign is a freign cncept. We ve created this Website Redesign Checklist t help yu fcus yur thughts and frmalize them int a clear framewrk. By answering the fllwing questins yu shuld be n yur way t develping a cmprehensive RFP r prject-scpe plan that has the ptential t lead t a redesigned website that delivers n yur rganizatin s cre gals and bjectives. Site Gals and General Questins Assess yur respnses t the fllwing questins first t guide the rest f the prcess. Include all relevant internal decisin makers in the discussin s that yu ensure each department r divisin s needs is being addressed in the planning stages. Why are yu redesigning the site at this time? What are yur gals fr the prject? D yu have timeframes r schedules that must be adhered t? (If s, yu may need t evaluate whether they re realistic in cmparisn t the prject requirements yu cmpile with the questins in the ther sectins f this checklist.) What is/are the purpse(s) f yur site (brchure, infrmatinal, transactinriented, lead-gen, etc)? Can yu rate / describe yur current levels f satisfactin with the site s perfrmance, design, functinality, and cntent? And hw d yu want/expect thse levels f satisfactin t change with this redesign? Hw will yu define and measure the success f the prject? Perfrmance Questins Based n yur analytics data and sales / lead-cnversin results, assess hw yur site is currently perfrming and determine what strengths and weaknesses it has that shuld be addressed as part f the redesign. Yur gal shuld be t augment what is wrking t sustain it r make it wrk better in the redesigned site and t und, fix, r replace, what s brken s that thse weaknesses dn t exist n the new site. 2

3 Hw are yu currently tracking site perfrmance / what analytics suite are yu utilizing? Are yu satisfied with the data the prduct cllects and the reprts yu re able t generate r d yu need t lk int a new slutin r mre training n the slutin yu have? Where des the majrity f yur current site traffic cme frm? Are thse traffic surces ecnmically sund fr yur verall business bjectives (i.e., if the majrity f yur traffic cmes frm paid surces are yu able t justify that expense based n psitive ROI? Or is the present traffic mdel nt selfsustaining and des yur site need t receive traffic frm ther / different surces in rder t demnstrate a psitive ROI?)? Des yur current site have clear Gals / Pints f Cnversin? If nt, what shuld thse be n the new site? If s, are the current nes sufficient t carry ver t the new site r shuld they be revised? Hw are they perfrming presently? Understanding that we all want t cntinuusly increase ur sites perfrmance, is yur verall cnversin rate weak and in need f serius cnsideratin r des yur current site perfrm relatively well? Wh are the varius audiences yur site is geared t? Can yu priritize the imprtance f each f thse audiences relative t yur bttm line? Des the current site adequately address their needs relative t their levels f pririty? What websites d yu cnsider cmpetitrs f yurs and hw des the perfrmance f yur current site measure up against them? Is Search Engine Optimizatin (SEO) perfrmance a cncern fr the new site? If s, hw des yur current site rank fr yur mst imprtant keywrds (and have yu researched and created a list f mst imprtant keywrds and SEO bjectives r d yu need help frmulating what thse shuld be?)? What needs and/r des nt need imprvement relative t yur current site s verall SEO perfrmance? Design Questins A website redesign prject may r may nt always invlve a full verhaul f the site s aesthetics. D yu need t start frm scratch r are their design elements (such as cre branding) that can r even must be maintained as part f the redesign? Is the design cmpnent a cmplete red r simply a refresh? Understanding hw drastic yur design changes need t be is imprtant t the verall level f pririty Design takes within the verarching prject scpe. What d yu like abut yur site s current aesthetic? What d yu dislike abut yur site s current aesthetic? D yu have brand guidelines t adhere t r is rebranding part f the prject? Is yur lg set in stne r is it ne f the elements yu will be redesigning? Are there any clrs r fnts that must be used? What tne d yu want the site s aesthetic t evke? 3

4 What kinds f imagery are yu seeking realistic phtgraphy (stck), realistic phtgraphy (f yur actual staff, building, prducts, etc.), abstract r artistic images, etc.? Regardless f style, d yu already have the images yu wuld like t include n the site r d yu need t gather them, schedule a pht sht, etc.? Given yur particular site s audience(s), what design elements culd enhance their verall experience with the site? What ther websites d yu strngly like the aesthetics f and why? What ther websites d yu strngly dislike the aesthetics f and why? What rle, if any, d yu want flash t play in the redesigned site? D yu utilize landing pages fr yur nline marketing initiatives? Hw d yu design them presently? Will they need t be redesigned t mesh with the new site? D yu need the flexibility t create new nes n the fly in the future? Have yu cnducted any a/b r multivariate experiments t determine the perfrmance f yur present design chices? D yu want t explre means f ding s with the site s future design? Functinality Questins Site functinality may be the mst pen-ended area f cnsideratin. What des yur current site d that yu like? What desn t it d? What must it d? And what amunt f resurces are yu willing t put frth in rder t achieve yur functinality gals? These are all questins that can be answered by explring sme f the fllwing areas f functinality and understanding hw they may r may nt be relevant t yur unique business mdel. Frms and Lead-Generatin: Hw many frms d yu need and what is the functin / purpse f each? D frm results need t be saved t a database, sent via , r bth? Hw ften d yu need t create / add new frms n the site? Tls and Interactivity: What tls / interactivity d yu currently ffer n the site that needs t be carried ver t the new site (widgets, calendars, lkups and search functinalities, maps, client lgins/prtals, interactive dems, etc.)? What new tls / interactivity d yu need t build as part f the redesign prject? Ecmmerce: Will yu be selling prducts thrugh the site? If s, hw many different stck-keeping units (skus) will make up yur nline inventry? Are yu currently selling prducts? If s, will yur rder fulfillment, shipping ptins, shpping cart features, inventry management, credit card prcessing, etc., remain the same, r are yu dissatisfied with any aspect f the prcess and require it t be revamped as part f the redesign prject? 4

5 If nt, d yu have particular prject requirements relative t rder fulfillment, shipping ptins, shpping cart features, inventry management, credit card prcessing, etc., r d yu need guidance and recmmendatins fr hw t address thse aspects f ecmmerce functinality? Newsletters and Marketing: D yu currently engage in marketing? Hw d yu cllect addresses and hw d yu maintain and segment yur list? D yur creatives mesh well with yur site s verall aesthetic and branding? Will they be impacted by yur redesign and need t be redesigned in kind? D yu have a newsletter and/r want t integrate ne n the site? D yu stre archived / previus versins f the newsletter n the site? Hw d yu distribute yur newsletter? Hw can a site visitr sign up fr it? D either f these answers need t change with the site redesign r are yu satisfied with the ways yu are currently handling them? Cntent Questins D yu presently have a Cntent Management System (CMS)? If s, are yu happy with it? If nt, what aspects f it d yu like and nt like? D yu need assistance selecting a new ne that better suits yur usage requirements? If nt, hw ften d yu need t edit, update, r add cntent t yur site and d yu think a CMS might be helpful as a result f that frequency? Hw can yur site cntent be mre f a resurce t yur visitrs? What kinds f cntent wuld be useful t them and d yu have the means t regularly update the site with it? D yu have scial media / multimedia cntent (vides, images, webinars, whitepapers, press releases, scial media links, interactive widgets, fan bxes, blgs, frums, etc.) and hw will it be incrprated int the site? D yu have r want a blg r frum n the site? D yu have cntent n the existing site yu definitely must keep r that yu definitely want t revise r d away with? Cnclusin T ften we encunter site wners wh are dissatisfied with the results f previusly planned site redesign prjects, because they didn t prperly take int accunt all their prject needs befre starting dwn the path f redesigning their sites. In the case f all f the questins within this Website Redesign Checklist, answers may beget additinal questins r discussins f prs / cns and best pssible strategies fr yur business; remember t be pen t feedback, but qualify it based n the surce. 5

6 Online strategy is never ne size fits all, but there are sme tried and true best practices that can g a lng way in helping yu create a successful redesign. By devting the time t develping rbust answers t these questins, yu can set the stage fr yur redesign prject s scpe and cre requirements t be well defined and understd by all thse invlved in the prject, thus creating the ptential fr yur newly redesigned website t actually hit the mark and achieve yur gals. Depending n hw savvy yur team is when it cmes t nline strategies relative t marketing, site perfrmance, SEO, design, functinality develpment, and cntent creatin and management, yu may r may nt need t utsurce all r part f the site planning and executin t a firm r firms that can wrk n yur behalf t ensure that yur unique needs are met and delivered n in each f these areas. Be realistic in knwing what strengths yur team des r desn t have s that yu can get the redesign right the first time and be happy with the results. 6