Don’t Get Lost on Your Journey to a New Website

By Amanda Sheppard, Strategy and Partnerships Director

Published: April 18, 2018

Websites are powerful business tools. They stand in as the main storyteller for your brand when you aren’t there to tell the story yourself. Given the high accessibility of websites, it’s no longer a matter of if your customer will visit your website, but when. So, what do you do if your website isn’t up to par or, even worse, you don’t have a website?

First, don’t panic. Remember your training. As with any journey, developing a strategy should be the first step. After all, you can’t expect to reach a new destination if you don’t have a map. Your strategy will act as that map, and your digital marketing partner should act as your guide. Building a website is a fun and exciting process, but it is also a journey that can be filled with challenges and roadblocks.

Here’s what you should know before embarking:

Respect the Process

Before embarking on a website redesign, ask yourself if you’re ready to do the early work that comes well before any architecture or design mockups are developed. When you partner with Envano, you can expect this process to be somewhat therapeutic. If you’re still reading, that means you’re not turned off by the thought of introspective work in the name of progress. #respect

In order to make your website the best business tool it can be, we first peel back the layers to gain a full understanding of your business and its people — internal and external stakeholders alike. Putting in the time to share key insights about your business upfront will lead to a website that better serves your needs. So, put in the time from the start. You’ll be glad you did.

Limit the Emotion

Creating a website can be an emotional process. Ultimately, it is a direct and very public reflection of your brand, and it is important to carefully evaluate what you want it to communicate to your audiences. Everyone involved is likely to have an opinion of what they think is best. Plus, we all use websites and develop our own preferences, so it can be hard to separate personal taste from what is best for the business. Passion for the website is great, as long as it doesn’t cloud the atmosphere. Be aware of your emotion, but don’t lead with it. If you find your emotions getting in the way, take a step back and try to revisit the project in a more objective way.

Be Brave and Be Open

Leading a team through a website build or redesign can be a tumultuous time, especially if your company is generally uncomfortable with or new to digital. Because of this, approaching the process head-on requires a certain level of bravery. Even if you aren’t in a leadership role, you can affect the process positively by approaching it with courage and an open mind. Building a website is going to be challenging at times and you’ll likely experience pushback surrounding your ideas. The best results often come from pushing the limits, so don’t run from this challenge; embrace it. Find a partner who embraces it too.

Are you ready to take the plunge on your website strategy? Fill out our contact form, and let’s chat!