prepared exclusively for

Seven Common Redesign Pitfalls…

…and How to Avoid Them

Gus KroustalisDigital Marketing Strategist

Beacon Technologies

Background• Beacon was founded in 1998

• One of the longest active Google Analytics Partners• Digital Marketing and/or Website Design work in 42

states and 5 countries• Cascade CMS Development Partner since 2006

• Gus Kroustalis• Lead Google Analytics strategist at Beacon• Joined Beacon in 2012• Digital Marketing professional since 2007

About This Session• What constitutes a pitfall?

• Lack of time/resources allocated• Process breakdown• Unknown/forgotten consequence of the redesign

• Objectives• Learn what others have experienced• Discover how your own redesign project can succeed

• Additional Q&A at the end

#1Google Analytics: Transferring the existing tracking code incorrectly

Incorrect Tracking Code Transfer#1 of 7

Incorrect Tracking Code Transfer#1 of 7

• How this issue can occur:• Not applying base tracking to all pages/sections• Forgetting to transition custom tracking snippets• Not making dynamic tracking updates to account for

new HTML

Incorrect Tracking Code Transfer#1 of 7

• How to Avoid:• Commit to a strategic plan for your website’s Analytics• Assess breadth of tracking before development begins• Note relevant HTML changes & recode your tracking as

needed• Utilize Cascade include files and apply at template levels• Pre and post-launch testing/validation

#2Google Analytics: Skipping over tracking improvements

Skipping Tracking Improvements#2 of 7

• New Header Navigation

• Improved Home Page Slider

• Content Blocks

• New Call-to-Action Graphics

Skipping Tracking Improvements#2 of 7

Visitor Capture

Content Interactions Conversions

Can you improve your data reporting for any of these segments of tracking?

Skipping Tracking Improvements#2 of 7

How to Avoid:• Find gaps between business objectives and

supporting data

• Utilize more Google Analytics features• Event tracking• Custom dimensions• Goal conversions• Cross-device reporting• Offline data integration

Skipping Tracking Improvements#2 of 7

Visitor Capture

Content Interactions Conversions

Result: Your team will be better equipped to connect these points

#3SEO Health: Improperly planned 301 redirects

Improperly Planned 301 Redirects#3 of 7

Are you changing URL extensions?ex: URLs will end in .aspx instead of .asp

Is your website going from http to https?

Are you consolidating pages on the new site?

Are you deleting a mobile site and going responsive?

Improperly Planned 301 Redirects#3 of 7

Risks:• Lost visibility in the search engine results• Bad user experience for site search

Improperly Planned 301 Redirects#3 of 7

What is a 301 redirect?

• A server configuration that sends a user from their originally intended URL to a new URL.

• Helps preserve SEO value.

Improperly Planned 301 Redirects#3 of 7

How to Avoid:• Understand the mandatory changes to URL

structure• Gather all information about new/obsolete

pages• Plan your 301 redirect strategy• Test before launch / validate after launch

http://www.your.edu/admission/deadlines.asp

http://www.your.edu/admission/undergrad-deadlines.aspx

#4SEO Health: Not managing site crawlability

No Site Crawlability Management#4 of 7

Risks• Lost visibility in the search engine results• Bad user experience for site search

This is similar to #3, but could risk the entire website being de-indexed from search results.

No Site Crawlability Management#4 of 7

To avoid issues, these SEO elements need active management:• Robots.txt • XML Sitemap• Google Search Console / Bing Webmaster Tools• Checking your site indexing on Google/Bing

Bare minimum: Pre/Post LaunchRecommended: Ongoing

#5Quality Control: Cutting corners during device, browser, and user acceptance testing

Device, Browser, and User Acceptance Testing

#5 of 7

Cutting corners can result in:• Browser compatibility issues• SEO mobile ranking drop• Load time issues and high

bounce rate• Users becoming your testers• Increased project costs from

rework of development

Device, Browser, and User Acceptance Testing

#5 of 7

How to Avoid:• Plan enough testing time (more than you think!)• Include device and browser considerations during

the Design Phase• Understand your audience

• Browsers & versions• Devices• Screen resolution• Regional mapping

• Pre and post-launch testing

#6ADA/Accessibility: Waiting until the last minute

ADA/Accessibility Testing#6 of 7

Risks of waiting until the last minute:• Unexpected updates required

• Content• Templates• Color schemes

• New site launch• Delayed?• Out of compliance?

• Additional risk: Untrained content owners

ADA/Accessibility Testing#6 of 7

How to Avoid:• Should begin during strategy & design phases

• Design can be affected by WCAG color compliance issues

• Plan your content with Web Accessibility in mind

• Run regular compliance scans during:• Development• Content entry• Post launch

#7Benchmarking: Not being able to measure redesign success

Benchmarking & Follow-Up#7 of 7

The sole purpose of the redesign is to make the website look better.

No Benchmarking or Follow-Up#7 of 7

Actual redesign goals• Delivering a quality user experience• Connecting with target audiences• Driving admission opportunities• Driving donor opportunities

No Benchmarking or Follow-Up#7 of 7

Higher website traffic and lower bounce rate are not good enough indicators.

Can you answer the most important question:• Is the new website doing a better job accomplishing

primary objectives than the old website?

No Benchmarking or Follow-Up#7 of 7

How to Avoid1. Identify KPIs2. Establish baseline metrics during strategy

phase (pre-design)3. Ensure necessary tracking is in place4. Conduct post-launch data analysis

Avoid these pitfalls:1. Incorrect tracking code transition2. Skipping over tracking improvements3. Improperly planned 301 redirects4. Not managing site crawlability5. Cutting corners on device, browser & user testing6. Inadequate ADA/Accessibility Testing7. No benchmarking or follow-up

?Summary & Questions