Things to remember when you’re starting again
It’s one of the immutable laws of the internet, eventually you will need to rebuild your website. It’s just the truth. Design styles and aesthetics change. Technologies change. Users change. Possibilities change. And with all of this, you need to change. You change or you fall behind and fade away.
So when it comes time to change, to start again and build a new site or at least rebuild your existing site it’s important to remember a few simple rules to help keep you on the right track.
1. Don’t get sucked in by the latest toys – Just because people have been talking about iPad apps doesn’t mean that your business is ready to take on the expense and effort of building one. As always, measure the potential value against the cost and make your decision based on facts. Remember: Cool toys don’t make a great website, useful functions do.
2. Change is a good thing – When understood properly, change represents a great opportunity to reinvent your business and its brand. When taken to a healthy limit this also means that you can reinvent the way that you relate with your existing customers and help you to attract new customers. Remember: Making your customers’ lives easier will make your life better.
3. Not everything old is bad – Make sure to pay attention to what really is working on your existing site and to bring it with you to the new site. Look for ways to build on your successes and expand your offering in these areas. Remember: Change for the sake of it rarely results in good change.
4. It’s about your users, not your business – The web reveals this truth in the starkest of ways. Users respond very positively to businesses that understand their needs and solve their problems. The key to success is to find the point where your business interests coincide with your users’ needs and to satisfy that demand. Remember: Empower your users and you will have brand ambassadors for life.
