This document provides 20 tips for organizations undertaking a web redesign project. It emphasizes the importance of thorough discovery and planning, selecting qualified partners, usability testing, content strategy, and transitioning to the new site. The key steps include clearly defining project scope and goals, understanding audience needs through research, identifying stakeholders, producing a detailed request for proposals, implementing a user-friendly design and technology, staging content, launching the new site, and measuring post-launch analytics and user feedback. Thorough preparation at each stage is advised to help ensure project success.

2. ABOUT
ME

3. RECENT
PROJECT
FAMILIESUSA.ORG
Health policy and advocacy organization.

4. LET’S GET
STARTED
SUCCESS ≠ FAILURE
So, you’re about to begin a web redesign project…
DISCOVER DEFINE DESIGN DEVELOP MEASURE/ANALYZELAUNCH

6. 1 Wait, what kind of project is this?
• Branding and design refresh?
• Content and architecture redesign?
• New CMS installation?
• Full digital infrastructure overhaul?

7. 2 Start with clear project guidelines.
• Scope, schedule, resources. How to measure success.
• “Must complete in 1 yr…” “Fix our logo…”
• “Only have $50-100K…” “We only want 1 firm…”

8. 3 Do your homework. Play detective.
• Conduct in-house discovery phase.
• This helps confirm “what kind of project” it is.
• Listen, play detective, and ask questions.

10. 4 Know your audience. Gather data.
• Who is this website for? What do they need most?
• Conduct some level of audience research.
• Consider online communications audit, audience survey.
• Is there good existing data/analytics you can evaluate?

12. 5
Identify internal stakeholders and
gather institutional knowledge.
• Talk to other departments and staff. Get buy-in.
• Find out their wants and needs for the site.
• Ensure the project is true to the organization.

13. 6
Step back, produce discovery summary
[ex. RFP], and get the 50,000 foot view.
• Your RFP should be detailed & tailored, not boilerplate.
• Your discovery summary/RFP describes “the big picture.”
• Fully evaluate what you’re about to undertake and make
sure you’re properly staffed and prepared.

15. 7 Gulp a big coffee and get ready to hustle.
• Redesign projects can take anywhere from 4 months
to 1+ years. Some large orgs can spend over 2 yrs
(yes, crazy).
• Once you begin contract work, you’re on the clock.
• External goals can add stricter milestones & timelines
[“must launch in time for our annual conference”].

17. 8 With clear vision, select good partner(s).
• You may have capacity to do in-house, but unlikely.
And not recommended.
• You may partner with one agency, or need multiple
partners depending on the project scope.
• SUCCESS WILL HINGE ON QUALITY OF THE PARTNER(S).

18. 9 Yes, partners should be good. Really good.
• Know their strengths. Harness their expertise.
• IMPORTANT: They must have a clear process.
• They will likely conduct their own discovery work.

19. 10
If multiple partners, make sure that
they play nice in the sandbox.
• If possible, try to find partners that have previously
worked together.
• Do research on whether those projects succeeded.
• Be up front about roles for each partner – quality
partners will respect that.

21. 11 Implement good technology.
• There are literally hundreds of CMS options. (Uh oh)
• Don’t pick “My Friend’s New Cool CMS (and it’s only
$49.95!)” – try to stick with trusted and vetted solutions.
• Consider something that positions you for new integration
and functional options you may need down the road.
• [Hint: Open Source!!!]
“Eh hem, you talking to me?”

23. 12
If multiple systems, consider a systems
integration map. [It’s just a guide.]
• Map and explain what each system will be doing.
• Where will your CMS integrate with your CRM.
• Will email marketing software integrate with your
CMS or only your CRM?
• Do you have any payment processing or member
login to consider?

24. 13 Plan for mobile early.
• 58% of American adults own a smartphone. 80% of
Internet users own a smartphone*.
• U.S. mobile web traffic avg 15% in 2013, only climbing.**
• Responsive design now a favorite, but requires extra
planning.
• Responsive design adds complexity to content staging.
* Pew Internet Research Center, Jan 2014 | Global Web Index, 2015.
** Mashable, 2013.

25. 14
No one likes an expensive junk pile.
(Hint Hint: Please make it pretty.)
• 55% of users spend less than 15 seconds on your website.*
• People judge fast. Some studies show you have 50 ms (or
less) to make a good first impression with your website.**
• Your website may be the first way someone meets your .org.
* Hubspot, 2014.
** Conversion XL.
(Don’t just put some
lipstick on it.)

26. 15 Content is king. Function is queen.
• Boiled down, many sites are truly just content (“what you see
or read”) and function (“what you do on the site”).
• CONTENT: Use content strategy – anticipate what’s needed for
the new site, and what you’ll have to routinely produce after.
• FUNCTION: Ensure your partner’s UX/Dev skills make the site
work smoooothly. Hard to use/buggy/slow load, users will
leave.

27. 16
A-B-C |Always be checking. Projects live & breath.
(Your timeline, upcoming tasks, budget…)
• Ensure clear milestones on the timeline. Project
management tools help (Basecamp, Redbooth, etc.).
• Always think how current choices are changing or
informing later tasks and work.
• If possible, set your budget in stages and prepare to
reallocate as new priorities emerge.

29. 17 Content staging sucks is FUN!
• Content staging is when you start populating ALL the
remaining amount of the new site content.
• You may be migrating lots of old content that has to
be retrofitted to the new site.
• Plan for late nights. Always find gaps and unexpected
needs, and mobile/responsive only makes it harder.

30. 18 Launch is its own phase – so be ready!
• It’s never as simple as “flipping a switch.”
• Both technology and content must be ready - & approved.
• Launch may include a “New Site” awareness campaign
among your members or your audience (“Welcome to the
New Site…”). This adds to an already busy schedule.

31. 19 Plan to fly two ships across the finish line.
• While prepping “new site” for launch, the old site
doesn’t go away.
• You’ll likely be populating most-to-all new content
on both sites.
• Plan for double duty until “the switch.”

33. 20
When done, it’s just the beginning.
[Congratulate yourself! You’re a winner! BUT…]
• New digital experience for users and staff. You must now put
that brand new shiny site to the test – and you’ll want to hear
real-time feedback on how it’s being used.
• You have a new tool and technology (maybe multiple) to
manage and support. There will be a learning curve.
• Now you need to measure results and analytics (you likely
want to start thinking about your new traffic baseline,
improvements in conversion rates, goals reached, etc).