Website Redesign – Is Your Site the Problem or the Symptom?
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Is your company considering a website redesign in the coming months? If you’re like most companies, you’re trying to figure out how to get the most out of every dollar spent. Marketing budgets are no exception. Because it’s usually the first place potential customers will go to learn more about your service, even relatively strapped businesses grasp the importance of their website.
Many professional services firms come to us planning to discuss a website redesign. Often, after a brief discussion, they realize the need may be deeper. And that need is proper positioning.
We explain to our website design clients that we are first and foremost a brand strategy firm. To build a great brand you must first begin with great positioning, and that requires a great strategy.
It’s easy to get intimidated by the word strategy, but on the most basic level, it’s focusing on how you want to answer some basic questions. Here’s a few you might consider when reviewing your company’s brand online:
Who are we?
This should be the easy one. Is your name, product, or service memorable, fun to say, easy to read, and somewhere that customers will recognize it? Do you look and feel like your competition, or are you uniquely you?
What do we do?
Again, this seems kind of obvious, but what is it that your company does? Are your complimentary services visible, or are you inundating your visitors with a laundry list of services.
Why do you matter to the marketplace?
Who do you work for, and how is that different from your competition. “We help make sure you get quality, on-time service every time.” First of all, who is “you”? And second of all, that statement could represent a law firm, a florist, or a plumber. The point is, there’s no differentiation in that statement, and worst of all, it’s nothing unique or memorable. If that’s on your homepage somewhere, we should talk.
What do you want your customers to do?
Your visitors may not knowingly ask themselves this question, but your team should know the answer. Do you want your visitors to browse a photo gallery, sign up for e-news, call the 800#, or fill out the contact form?
If you’ve never taken a moment to consider those questions, pop open your web browser at some point today, and take a look at your homepage. How do you think your potential customers would answer those questions for you?
Josh Miles
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So many problems can be solved by just asking the right questions.
Good post.