The Whys and Why Nots of a

Website Revamp

Introduction

The website is an important weapon ina company‟s marketing arsenal. It canperform multiple functions – establishyour company‟s online presence,showcase capabilities, generate leadsand even transact business. Websitescan nicely complement push-marketing techniques and, if craftedwell, can draw audiences in, thusenhancing a company‟s brand. Clearly,websites are too important a marketingtool to be taken lightly.

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The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Introduction

Does your website need a facelift?

The website is the “online face” of your company and must

reflect your company‟s position accurately, and hence draw the

right audience.

2The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Does your website need a facelift?

Eight questions to help you decide if you

need to revamp your website

1. Has your business undergone a significant change, such as anM&A or a change in ownership that must be reflected on thesite?

2. Has your business completed a re-positioning or re-structuring exercise that requires to be communicated to themarket?

3. By scanning the home page, is a visitor unable to determineyour competencies and assess your knowledge as it standstoday?

4. Has the last revamp been done several years ago, andconsequently, does the content on the site barely represent afraction of what you could offer to customers?

3The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Eight questions to help you decide if you need to revamp your website

Eight questions to help you decide if you

need to revamp your website

5. Does your site generate marginal traffic and leads?

6. Does your site have little or no interactive elements?

7. By doing a critical comparison of your site with a competitor‟s,do you feel that your site needs a big boost?

8. Is your site an online equivalent of a brochure (static, „sales‟-y)?

If any of these questions solicit a positive response, then yoursite needs to be carefully evaluated and the extent of changesrequired needs to be determined.

4The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Eight questions to help you decide if you need to revamp your website

Also remember

Website changes should be driven by compelling business

reasons such as the above. Do not embark on frequent aesthetic

overhauls as they not only cost money but also break continuity,

and hence impede the branding process.

Significant changes must be treated like any other business

investment and justified through a business case that clearly

enumerates the outcomes. A considered decision can be made,

based on the expected outcomes.

5The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Eight questions to help you decide if you need to revamp your website > Also remember

3 Common mistakes you don’t want to make

while revamping your website

1. Obsession with Design

When it comes to design, everyone has aview and this very often results in endlessiterations and contradictory feedback.Reaching a consensus takes time andeffort, which could have been invested inmore value adding activities!

We also find that companies obsessendlessly with the minutiae of design.Marketers need to understand that theprecise shade of green or the carefulpositioning of a grey line is not going todraw traffic to the site; while aestheticsincrease appeal, they cannot substitute forpoor content.

6The whys and why nots of a website revamp > 3 common mistakes you don’t want to make while revamping your website > Obsession with design

3 Common mistakes you don’t want to

make while revamping your website

2. Communicating all that I have

A website is meant to present a compelling storyabout the company, thereby motivatingprospective buyers and employees to learn moreabout it. Therefore, the website must containrelevant content presented in a crisp and easy-to-read fashion. However, many companiesdesire to tell all assuming mistakenly that asuccinct description of capabilities is notsufficient to convey the value proposition.Nothing can be further from reality. A B2Bwebsite visitor spends under three minutes onan average on a site and in that short period hasto assimilate what the company has to offer andbe stimulated enough to learn more so, brevityis the essence of compelling content.

7The whys and why nots of a website revamp > 3 common mistakes you don’t want to make while revamping your website > Communicating all I have

3 Common mistakes you don’t want to

make while revamping your website

3. Being someone you are not

Some companies expect a websitemakeover to be the panacea for alltheir problems. Not only that, they alsotry and project an image through thewebsite that does not gel with thecompany‟s personality or corecapabilities. For instance, trying tocreate a flashy website for aconservative business is a strict no-no;this “make-over” will not strike theright chord with the targeted audience,who will get mixed signals during theirother interactions. Similarly,exaggerating one‟s capabilities isbound to backfire as it will impact thecredibility negatively.

8The whys and why nots of a website revamp > 3 common mistakes you don’t want to make while revamping your website > Being someone you are not

Our experience in revamping several B2B sites, especially in theIT/ITeS industry has given us some additional insights.

The most commonly cited reason for contemplating a revamp isthe lack of sufficient quality traffic. Other common triggersinclude altering the site to reflect new positioning, augmentingthe portfolio of service offerings, or bolstering the track record.

However, many a time, we see companies lose sight of fourimportant areas during the course of the revamp exercise.

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3 Common mistakes you don’t want to

make while revamping your website

The whys and why nots of a website revamp > 3 common mistakes you don’t want to make while revamping your website

Four areas you must focus on

1. Content rules

When contemplating a revamp or amajor change to the website,companies must remember the keymotivation for audiences to visit andspend time on the site. Visitorstypically learn more about a companyand are incentivized to spend a longertime if the company‟s message strikesa chord and if the content supportsthis messaging adequately. Whiledesign is still an importantcomponent, visitors who matterusually do not pay significantattention to every design detail.

10The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Four areas you need to focus on > Content rules

Four areas you must focus on

2. Demonstrate that you can think

Prospective customers are reassured when theysee sufficient evidence of a company‟s thinkingcapabilities leading to how they can help thecustomer. After all, it is far simpler to engage witha company that can contribute meaningfullyrather than someone who needs explicitdirections. The website is a great way to showcasea service provider‟s consulting or consultativeskills.

11The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Four areas you need to focus on > Demonstrate that you can think

Four areas you must focus on

3. Online marketing

Most companies have underleveragedonline marketing, leaving untapped apowerful channel to further their businessopportunities and brand. With a well-planned and rigorously executed onlinemarketing strategy, companies can attractbetter quality leads and also improve theirbrand image significantly. Some of thepoints to keep in mind: optimizing the sitefor SEO, frequent content updates to thewebsite, incorporating Web 2.0 elementssuch as blogs and RSS Feeds. Please notethat all of these require sustained efforts todeliver the desired outcomes.

12The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Four areas you need to focus on > Online Marketing

Four areas you must focus on

4. Measurements

A culture of periodically gatheringand analyzing website metrics mustbe cultivated. Several tools areavailable that give an indication of theeffectiveness of the website. One suchis Google Analytics, a powerful toolwhich is easy to use and gives goodinsights into website traffic and SEOeffectiveness. Analytics reports giveimportant cues on what needs to bechanged on the existing website.

13The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Four areas you need to focus on > Measurements

Is revamp the only way to make changes?

Not necessarily. Full fledgedwebsite makeovers or revampsmay not always warranted, andsignificant change may also bebrought out by deploying pointsolutions such as reworking thecontent and messaging orimplementing an SEM strategy,without disrupting the design. Aclear understanding of theexpectations and objectives fromchanges to the website is thereforenecessary to decide on the rightchange strategy.

14The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Is revamp the only way to make changes?

Concluding thoughts

Websites are a key marketing vehiclethat can prompt visitors to engage in ameaningful dialog with your company.A well presented website speaksvolumes about your company and canbe an effective pull-factor for yourbusiness. Finally, a website needs to beup to date and reflect who you areaccurately. A revamp is not the onlyanswer to improving websiteeffectives. Pick the right strategydepending on what outcomes youdesire.

15The whys and why nots of a website revamp > Concluding thoughts

Get in touch with us

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