Why was it decided to redo the site? Seems like a trivial question, but often does not find a clear answer, defined and motivated. The makeover of the website it is normally an activity that falls within (or should fall within) a larger project, which includes other collateral and complementary ones. But let's focus on the site at this stage; first of all it is very important to define what goals we intend to achieve with its renovation. Do you want to present and launch new products or services? Transfer an updated corporate image consistent with your business purposes? Simplify the user's search for the product/service/information ? Even more ? The answers can be more than one.
This simple exercise will be fundamental and the answers that will arrive must always be kept in mind during each phase of the development of the site. Perhaps answer yourself that…. “go redone because this competitor has redone it and it's more beautiful than ours”…. it's a mistake from the start.
Leaving without clear and well-defined goals and objectives to be achieved is the premise for obtaining an ineffective final result.
Likewise, contacting those who had already developed the current corporate site and perhaps asking them to create a new one that resembles that of one or another company is another false step to avoid. Another risk is then that of being convinced, in order not to waste too much time or because one feels that one does not possess sufficient knowledge on the subject, to adopt "pre-packaged" packages (even if perhaps attractive from a graphic point of view).
In order not to run into these missteps, it is instead necessary to "think on paper" what final result one would like to obtain, starting from the initial question (why?) and gradually analyzing: what and how does the competition propose, who are they and what language do our potential customers, what contents and materials one has or could have available, what navigation logics one would like to offer the user, what distinctive factors distinguish our proposal, etc.
It is a full-bodied work, of course, which however can also bring important information that otherwise would not have been sought. Some insiders would perhaps define it as a sort of basic Business Intelligence. Call it what you will, but I recommend that you do this task diligently. Alone or with help, but do it.
This initial analysis will bring you a double benefit: have clear ideas when you go deeper into the subject with the chosen web agency (personally, I would recommend evaluating the proposals of 2 or 3 different agencies and not stopping at the already known web supplier) and above all it will force you to put yourself in the shoes of the potential customer visiting the your new site, which in the final analysis will be the one who will have to judge its effectiveness and level of attractiveness, to stay there and deepen its research and to return to it in the future.
In short, instead of telling you what seems to give you prominence and importance (with the risk perhaps of talking a little too much), make sure to include and highlight everything that the potential customer visitor would like to find on your new site. In a simple, clear and orderly (and possibly fresh and captivating) way.
For the development phase, therefore, the advice is to dedicate the due time and the due (qualified) resources to develop and write the contents, since they are the ones that will make the difference once the site is online. This is an activity that cannot be delegated to third parties who do not live, full or at least part time, in the company and who therefore cannot know its real strengths (and weaknesses).
Paul Casazza
Sales & Marketing Consultant