The following is a post from Alison Russell-Quindlen, TIG Global Project Manager.
Updating your website can be a stressful initiative, but by asking yourself a few key questions about the goals you hope to achieve, and with a little help from the pros, you can make the transition much smoother and more enjoyable. We called upon seasoned TIG Global Project Managers, Allison Russell-Quindlen and Courtney Duane, to provide a top-ten list of helpful insider tips to simplify the redesign process.
Tips to keep your website redesign project aligned to your goals, on time, and within budget:
1. Carefully assess your current website. What is working, what is not working? Usually during a redesign, it is time to trim the fat. Streamline your content and make user pathways through the site clearer. This process will help to shape the site map for your new and improved website.
2. See the big picture. What are your business goals? Write them down and keep them at hand during the website redesign process! These goals should be used as a touchstone throughout the redesign. This way, when you are tasked with making a decision, you can refer to your list and ask yourself if the initiative aligns with the business goals you originally plotted out.
3. Plan ahead. What will your business be doing for the next year? What types of promotions will you be running? What audiences do you wish to target? It is better to create a marketing plan ahead of time for the next year so that you can create a meaningful design around the plan.
4. Invest in new photography. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is certainly true in the online space. Good, quality, up-to-date photography is absolutely worth the investment and will elevate your product and online presence.
5. Trust the experts. Once you communicate #1-3 to your web design/development team and provide them with your beautiful new photography, it is often best to leave the designing to the designers. Avoid the temptation to “Frankenstein your Design” by trying to pull together pieces from two different designs, as each creative direction presented is a fully realized product with deliberate decisions behind the design choices that have been made. Your project manager should help guide you through this process, relaying your feedback to the designers in a big-picture manner to incorporate into the design plan. For example, instead of communicating direction such as, “The site should be blue with rounded corners,” perhaps the direction would sound more like, “The site should look more professional and should appeal to a more mature audience.” This approach allows the design professionals to better understand your overall vision and interpret a successful method for achieving your desired goals.
Interested in learning more? Stay tuned for the next five tips coming soon from Project Manager Courtney Duane.
Looking to ramp up your website design and marketing strategy? TIG Global offers award-winning design and a full suite of interactive marketing tools. Click here to learn more, or give us a call at 301-841-4700.
