This document provides advice for marketers undergoing a website redesign, comparing it to an expedition to Antarctica. It recommends marketers pick the right team for the project, choose the right technology and development tools, carefully plan the redesign process, prepare necessary skills and resources, lead the team through challenges, be ready to improvise when issues arise, push through the difficulties of the final stages, and view the ongoing process as an adventure that continues after launch.
Why Sales Doesn't Use Your Content (And What To Do About It)Percussion Software
Learn how you can align with sales and get them using your content by:
- Building your content development and organizational plan
- Developing buyer personas
- Keeping sales up to date on available content
- Using content in different mediums
- Setting up a feedback loop
You can make your site work better for your business TODAY. Read on to learn why you should rethink your redesign strategy and get started with web content management first.
Content Marketing for the Beginner: A Guide to Getting StartedPercussion Software
Get the overview of content marketing foundations you've been looking for. Find out the advantages of content marketing, the key steps in the content marketing process, and how you can use it to drive business outcomes.
Designing for mobile devices first is no longer optional after Google's most recent algorithm update. Learn what it takes to make your website truly mobile friendly.
Why Sales Doesn't Use Your Content (And What To Do About It)Percussion Software
Learn how you can align with sales and get them using your content by:
- Building your content development and organizational plan
- Developing buyer personas
- Keeping sales up to date on available content
- Using content in different mediums
- Setting up a feedback loop
You can make your site work better for your business TODAY. Read on to learn why you should rethink your redesign strategy and get started with web content management first.
Content Marketing for the Beginner: A Guide to Getting StartedPercussion Software
Get the overview of content marketing foundations you've been looking for. Find out the advantages of content marketing, the key steps in the content marketing process, and how you can use it to drive business outcomes.
Designing for mobile devices first is no longer optional after Google's most recent algorithm update. Learn what it takes to make your website truly mobile friendly.
11 Signs It's Time to Break Up with Your CMS - 2015 MixtapePercussion Software
If you've lost that loving feeling towards your CMS and you're not sure if you should stay or you should go, check out the top 11 signs it might be time to break up with your CMS. It's not right, but it's okay, and you will survive.
How to Write a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Web Content ManagementPercussion Software
Writing an effective and useful RFP for content management can be a complex, lengthy process. Learn how to leverage available resources and templates to get a document that puts the vendors to work for you, and helps you get the right solution for your business.
Using Video Analytics to Measure Effectiveness and Set Metrics for SuccessPercussion Software
Video is the fastest growing form of web content, and by far the most popular on mobile devices. How do you know if your video content is helping your marketing efforts? Marketers want to do more with video, but when you have limited resources to invest, you want to maximize impact. Experts from Wistia discuss how.
Rhythmyx is a development platform ideally suited to organizations with a strong internal development team that has invested heavily in other core web applications, processes, and technologies and simply wants a development platform that manages the “content infrastructure” with the freedom to continue to build and integrate other web applications without restrictions.
Web Analytics: Defining & Driving Key Performance Indicators for Your Higher ...Percussion Software
Learn how using analytics can help you make better decisions and deliver higher ROI for your college’s website. Percussion Software will cover five easy ways to start using web analytics to increase your college’s student engagement and ultimately drive enrollment.
Learn more here: http://www.percussion.com/edu
Get actionable tips and strategies for using content marketing to support sales, SEO, PR, and more.
You will learn:
- How to execute and promote an effective content marketing campaign
- Marketing strategies for specific types of content Software tools you can leverage for content marketing
- Where to get the scoop on your competition
And last but not least find out how to build a strong foundation for your content marketing efforts by following best practices for the start.
Web Accessibility Compliance in Higher Education - Fully Meet Legal Requireme...Percussion Software
Universities face liability if their web content is inaccessible. As college campuses adopt new technologies and make their communication increasingly digital, disability rights advocates fight to ensure students with disabilities aren’t left behind. Navigating the complex legal landscape isn’t easy, and many schools aren’t aware of their unintentional violations.
View these slides to make sure your college website complies with sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and that you can extend full web and IT access to every student.
Learn more about HiSoftware & Percussion's recent partnership announcement:
http://www.percussion.com/about/news-and-events/press-releases/2014/hisoftware-and-percussion-announce-partnership
Make Your Website Your Best Admissions Officer with Real-Time PersonalizationPercussion Software
Online research is a critical tool for students and parents choosing a college.
Personalization allows you to target students by academic, athletic, or any other interests, and to target parents with content they find most relevant such as cost and safety.
Learn more about Percussion CMS: http://www.percussion.com/products/index
Learn more about Evergage: http://www.evergage.com/
The number one killer of a successful web project is bad assumptions running amok. Whether it’s a complete redesign, switching to a new CMS, or developing a completely new digital property, faulty expectations can doom a project before it even starts.
Join Sara Murray from Boston Interactive to debunk the top 10 web design myths and break free of the most common misconceptions:
CMS selection can wait
- Visual design is the most important piece of any project
- Mobile comes in the next phase
- The project is done after you launch
- and more!
Make sure your next website project stays on track by separating fact from fiction. Plan for a successful design and launch with the right information and expectations from day one.
Don’t Stop at Responsive: Optimize Your Site to Increase Conversions on MobilePercussion Software
Optimizing the delivery of assets ensures that the most important content and calls to action are prioritized when the site loads. In this webinar Ari Weil of Yottaa will explain how Application Sequencing technology can boost site performance and serve up what you want your customers to see.
You will learn:
Why responsive design is just the tip of the optimization iceberg
How Application Sequencing intelligently serves content based on device, browser, and connection speed
How site speed and perceived responsiveness impact conversions and sales
Website visitors increasingly expect speed, responsiveness, social integration, and personalization on any device. See how you can still deliver a well-rounded experience and capture business without sacrificing performance.
Join Dan Flanigan, VP of Products at Percussion Software and Karl Wirth, CEO and Co-Founder of Evergage and learn how to personalize to make every website experience awesome.
Learn more at: http://www.percussion.com & http://www.evergage.com
How to Redesign for Student Success Like the Princeton ReviewPercussion Software
The Princeton Review's redesigned portal gave students faster and easier access to the tools that could shape their future.
Learn how Ayantek helped the Princeton Review overhaul their student portal.
http://www.percussion.com
Most discussions around the web today focus on the visual and technical challenges associated with communicating our message across different platforms. How will the layout adapt, what will the design do, who can write the code? Great questions, but all of these fail to acknowledge perhaps the most important aspect of your digital presence - your content. Regardless of design and development, failure to deliver content that delivers a consistent experience across all platforms leaves your digital strategy with little value.
Visit http://www.percussion.com to learn more.
Website Governance: Tips for Defining a Successful StrategyPercussion Software
In this presentation, Tony Poillucci, Vice President of Strategy and Creative from VisionPoint Marketing will address content creation and publication across various levels of responsibility for content creators, editors and unit leaders, among many others.
Learn more at: http://www.percussion.com
Let's be honest. A lot of college and university websites could use some improvement. Visitors get lost, offerings are unclear and the content and design don't represent all the amazing things you do.
Learn more at http://www.percussion.com
Join VisionPoint Marketing and Percussion as we walk you through a step-by-step process and share lessons learned from two of the largest institutions on the east coast.
What Have You Done for Me Lately? 5 Questions to Ask Your CMSPercussion Software
Your website has a job to do, and in higher education, that includes engaging the students you hope to enroll. But is your website doing its job, and more importantly, is your CMS helping or in the way? Ask these 5 questions to find out once and for all.
Influencer marketing isn't just for big brands or consumer products anymore. In 2024, marketers face hurdles like escalating paid channel costs, diminishing organic reach, and building trust in their ideal customer accounts. This session offers practical ways to bring influencer marketing into your organization, to provide cost-effective access to niche audiences, countering budget constraints and rising CPMs. We'll discuss the impact of social algorithms on reach, the trust deficit in traditional advertising and how influencer partnerships offer genuine connections with audiences. Attendees will gain actionable insights to integrate influencer marketing into their strategies, leveraging influencers for impactful campaigns in both B2B and B2C environments. Join us to unlock the potential of influencers in navigating the evolving marketing landscape of 2024 and driving meaningful business growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Educate on the various types of influence we can use as marketers
- Establish the problems that make influencers a priority
- Walk through some practical tactics on HOW to run a program leveraging several of these influence channels
11 Signs It's Time to Break Up with Your CMS - 2015 MixtapePercussion Software
If you've lost that loving feeling towards your CMS and you're not sure if you should stay or you should go, check out the top 11 signs it might be time to break up with your CMS. It's not right, but it's okay, and you will survive.
How to Write a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Web Content ManagementPercussion Software
Writing an effective and useful RFP for content management can be a complex, lengthy process. Learn how to leverage available resources and templates to get a document that puts the vendors to work for you, and helps you get the right solution for your business.
Using Video Analytics to Measure Effectiveness and Set Metrics for SuccessPercussion Software
Video is the fastest growing form of web content, and by far the most popular on mobile devices. How do you know if your video content is helping your marketing efforts? Marketers want to do more with video, but when you have limited resources to invest, you want to maximize impact. Experts from Wistia discuss how.
Rhythmyx is a development platform ideally suited to organizations with a strong internal development team that has invested heavily in other core web applications, processes, and technologies and simply wants a development platform that manages the “content infrastructure” with the freedom to continue to build and integrate other web applications without restrictions.
Web Analytics: Defining & Driving Key Performance Indicators for Your Higher ...Percussion Software
Learn how using analytics can help you make better decisions and deliver higher ROI for your college’s website. Percussion Software will cover five easy ways to start using web analytics to increase your college’s student engagement and ultimately drive enrollment.
Learn more here: http://www.percussion.com/edu
Get actionable tips and strategies for using content marketing to support sales, SEO, PR, and more.
You will learn:
- How to execute and promote an effective content marketing campaign
- Marketing strategies for specific types of content Software tools you can leverage for content marketing
- Where to get the scoop on your competition
And last but not least find out how to build a strong foundation for your content marketing efforts by following best practices for the start.
Web Accessibility Compliance in Higher Education - Fully Meet Legal Requireme...Percussion Software
Universities face liability if their web content is inaccessible. As college campuses adopt new technologies and make their communication increasingly digital, disability rights advocates fight to ensure students with disabilities aren’t left behind. Navigating the complex legal landscape isn’t easy, and many schools aren’t aware of their unintentional violations.
View these slides to make sure your college website complies with sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and that you can extend full web and IT access to every student.
Learn more about HiSoftware & Percussion's recent partnership announcement:
http://www.percussion.com/about/news-and-events/press-releases/2014/hisoftware-and-percussion-announce-partnership
Make Your Website Your Best Admissions Officer with Real-Time PersonalizationPercussion Software
Online research is a critical tool for students and parents choosing a college.
Personalization allows you to target students by academic, athletic, or any other interests, and to target parents with content they find most relevant such as cost and safety.
Learn more about Percussion CMS: http://www.percussion.com/products/index
Learn more about Evergage: http://www.evergage.com/
The number one killer of a successful web project is bad assumptions running amok. Whether it’s a complete redesign, switching to a new CMS, or developing a completely new digital property, faulty expectations can doom a project before it even starts.
Join Sara Murray from Boston Interactive to debunk the top 10 web design myths and break free of the most common misconceptions:
CMS selection can wait
- Visual design is the most important piece of any project
- Mobile comes in the next phase
- The project is done after you launch
- and more!
Make sure your next website project stays on track by separating fact from fiction. Plan for a successful design and launch with the right information and expectations from day one.
Don’t Stop at Responsive: Optimize Your Site to Increase Conversions on MobilePercussion Software
Optimizing the delivery of assets ensures that the most important content and calls to action are prioritized when the site loads. In this webinar Ari Weil of Yottaa will explain how Application Sequencing technology can boost site performance and serve up what you want your customers to see.
You will learn:
Why responsive design is just the tip of the optimization iceberg
How Application Sequencing intelligently serves content based on device, browser, and connection speed
How site speed and perceived responsiveness impact conversions and sales
Website visitors increasingly expect speed, responsiveness, social integration, and personalization on any device. See how you can still deliver a well-rounded experience and capture business without sacrificing performance.
Join Dan Flanigan, VP of Products at Percussion Software and Karl Wirth, CEO and Co-Founder of Evergage and learn how to personalize to make every website experience awesome.
Learn more at: http://www.percussion.com & http://www.evergage.com
How to Redesign for Student Success Like the Princeton ReviewPercussion Software
The Princeton Review's redesigned portal gave students faster and easier access to the tools that could shape their future.
Learn how Ayantek helped the Princeton Review overhaul their student portal.
http://www.percussion.com
Most discussions around the web today focus on the visual and technical challenges associated with communicating our message across different platforms. How will the layout adapt, what will the design do, who can write the code? Great questions, but all of these fail to acknowledge perhaps the most important aspect of your digital presence - your content. Regardless of design and development, failure to deliver content that delivers a consistent experience across all platforms leaves your digital strategy with little value.
Visit http://www.percussion.com to learn more.
Website Governance: Tips for Defining a Successful StrategyPercussion Software
In this presentation, Tony Poillucci, Vice President of Strategy and Creative from VisionPoint Marketing will address content creation and publication across various levels of responsibility for content creators, editors and unit leaders, among many others.
Learn more at: http://www.percussion.com
Let's be honest. A lot of college and university websites could use some improvement. Visitors get lost, offerings are unclear and the content and design don't represent all the amazing things you do.
Learn more at http://www.percussion.com
Join VisionPoint Marketing and Percussion as we walk you through a step-by-step process and share lessons learned from two of the largest institutions on the east coast.
What Have You Done for Me Lately? 5 Questions to Ask Your CMSPercussion Software
Your website has a job to do, and in higher education, that includes engaging the students you hope to enroll. But is your website doing its job, and more importantly, is your CMS helping or in the way? Ask these 5 questions to find out once and for all.
Influencer marketing isn't just for big brands or consumer products anymore. In 2024, marketers face hurdles like escalating paid channel costs, diminishing organic reach, and building trust in their ideal customer accounts. This session offers practical ways to bring influencer marketing into your organization, to provide cost-effective access to niche audiences, countering budget constraints and rising CPMs. We'll discuss the impact of social algorithms on reach, the trust deficit in traditional advertising and how influencer partnerships offer genuine connections with audiences. Attendees will gain actionable insights to integrate influencer marketing into their strategies, leveraging influencers for impactful campaigns in both B2B and B2C environments. Join us to unlock the potential of influencers in navigating the evolving marketing landscape of 2024 and driving meaningful business growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Educate on the various types of influence we can use as marketers
- Establish the problems that make influencers a priority
- Walk through some practical tactics on HOW to run a program leveraging several of these influence channels
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
SEO as the Backbone of Digital MarketingFelipe Bazon
In this talk Felipe Bazon will share how him and his team at Hedgehog Digital share our journey of making C-Levels alike, specially CMOS realize that SEO is the backbone of digital marketing by showing how SEO can contribute to brand awareness, reputation and authority and above all how to use SEO to create more robust global marketing strategies.
[Google March 2024 Update] How To Thrive: Content, Link Building & SEOSearch Engine Journal
March 2024 disrupted the SEO industry. Websites were deindexed, and manual penalties were delivered—all to produce more helpful, more trustworthy search results.
How did your website fare?
Watch us as we delve into the seismic shifts brought about by Google's March 2024 updates and explore strategies to not just survive, but thrive in this dynamic digital landscape.
You’ll learn:
- How to create content that is valuable to users (not just search engines) using E-E-A-T.
- How to build links that can boost rankings and withstand algorithm updates.
- Best practices for content creation and link building so you can thrive during algorithm updates.
With Vince Ramos, we'll examine the implications of the latest algorithm changes on content creation, link building, and SEO practices, and offer actionable insights from businesses like yours that have remained steadfast amidst the volatility.
Using real-life case studies, we’ll also show you the effectiveness of manual link building techniques and person-first content strategies.
Whether you're a seasoned SEO professional, a budding content creator, or anyone in between, this webinar will help you weather the changes in Google's algorithms and capitalize on them for sustained success.
Check out this webinar and unlock the secrets to thriving in the new Google era.
How to Use AI to Write a High-Quality Article that Ranksminatamang0021
In the world of content creation, many AI bloggers have drifted away from their original vision, resulting in low-quality articles that search engines overlook. Don't let that happen to you! Join us to discover how to leverage AI tools effectively to craft high-quality content that not only captures your audience's attention but also ranks well on search engines.
Disclaimer: Some of the prompts mentioned here are the examples of Matt Diggity. Please use it as reference and make your own custom prompts.
It's another new era of digital and marketers are faced with making big bets on their digital strategy. If you are looking at modernizing your tech stack to support your digital evolution, there are a few can't miss (often overlooked) areas that should be part of every conversation. We'll cover setting your vision, avoiding siloes, adding a democratized approach to data strategy, localization, creating critical governance requirements and more. Attendees will walk away with actions they can take into initiatives they are running today and consider for the future.
Monthly Social Media News Update May 2024Andy Lambert
TL;DR. These are the three themes that stood out to us over the course of last month.
1️⃣ Social media is becoming increasingly significant for brand discovery. Marketers are now understanding the impact of social and budgets are shifting accordingly.
2️⃣ Instagram’s new algorithm and latest guidance will help us maintain organic growth. Instagram continues to evolve, but Reels remains the most crucial tool for growth.
3️⃣ Collaboration will help us unlock growth. Who we work with will define how fast we grow. Meta continues to evolve their Creator Marketplace and now TikTok are beginning to push ‘collabs’ more too.
For too many years marketing and sales have operated in silos...while in some forward thinking companies, the two organizations work together to drive new opportunity development and revenue. This session will explore the lessons learned in that beautiful dance that can occur when marketing and sales work together...to drive new opportunity development, account expansion and customer satisfaction.
No, this is not a conversation about MQLs and SQLs. Instead we will focus on a framework that allows the two organizations to drive company success together.
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
5 big bets to drive growth in 2024 without one additional marketing dollar AND how to adapt to the biggest shifting eCommerce trend- AI.
1) Romance Your Customers - Retention
2) ‘Alternative’ Lead Gen - Advocacy
3) The Beautiful Basics - Conversion Rate Optimization
4) Land that Bottom Line - Profitability
5) Roll the Dice - New Business Models
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
AI-Powered Personalization: Principles, Use Cases, and Its Impact on CROVWO
In today’s era of AI, personalization is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental strategy that unlocks numerous opportunities.
When done effectively, personalization builds trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your users—key factors for business success. However, relying solely on AI capabilities isn’t enough. You need to anchor your approach in solid principles, understand your users’ context, and master the art of persuasion.
Join us as Sarjak Patel and Naitry Saggu from 3rd Eye Consulting unveil a transformative framework. This approach seamlessly integrates your unique context, consumer insights, and conversion goals, paving the way for unparalleled success in personalization.
A website redesign is like exploring uncharted territory
Even if you’ve been through one, you still don’t know exactly where you’re going—if whether everyone will survive
But at the end, you know that glory and honor await—or at least some tangible ROI
Before we get started, I’d like to just take a quick poll on your experience with website redesigns and whether you have one coming up or recently finished one
What’s your website project status?
Thinking about one but no definite timeline
Thinking about one and have a launch date in mind
Have a project in progress and need some guidance
Have recently finished a project and looking for a sanity check
Website project? I thought we were going to talk about penguins!
Full disclosure: I’ve been reading a lot about polar exploration at the start of the 20th century lately, and it’s both inspiring and terrifying. You have a small group of people facing insurmountable odds and many unknowable obstacles, changing conditions that throw them off course and put their lives in danger, and strain their courage and resources. And that’s actually a lot like any big project.
Exploring uncharted, treacherous territory in search of magnificent achievement? I thought it was a pretty good parallel.
There’s a lot of unknowns that you can’t anticipate and whatever your plan is, you can trust things will not go exactly according to that plan
You’re going to work very closely with people, some of whom might behave unpredictably when danger arises
No matter how many redesigns you’ve been through before, or how many highly informative webinars you’ve attended—the final destination is ultimately a mystery, but we can rely on a lot of knowledge from prior expeditions to get us safely where we are going.
When survival is at stake, it’s critical that you stack the odds in your favor
This means having the right people on your team, planning and preparing, and of course, picking up some survival skills along the way.
You hope for the best, but should prepare for the worst because even if you’re managing the project, sometimes it might feel like the project is managing you
Today we’re going to talk about selecting the best team for your expeditions, what you need to bring with you, and how to ensure you get where you’re going while avoiding the most common dangers of a major website project
Resources
People
Skills
Preparation
Perseverence
You’re probably not doing this for the glory of the British empire—or the Kingdom of Norway
But you should have a reason behind embarking on this journey beyond just thinking you need a new website… Why? Because your reasons will help define your goals and success metrics.
How can you tell if you’ve arrived if you don’t know where you’re going?
Some of the most common reasons we see for redesigns
Outdated technology
Bad branding
Poor results/no measurable ROI
Weak content marketing
Outdated technology – it’s 2015 and you don’t have a responsive design yet, anything on your website to help mobile visitors—that’s a problem --- or if you don’t have a CMS and are still uploading static pages to a server to update the site, you’re in serious trouble because you’ll never be able to scale up your digital marketing operation
Bad branding? If your website is inconsistent, or you have a group of disjointed websites that all look different, or your recent branding doesn’t extend itself to your online presence, you’re hurting your brand and how you’re perceived—another impetus for the redesign could be that you look good, but exactly like your competition, and you need to stand out
Poor results – your website is like an employee that should be working for you. If you’re paying someone to come into the office every day, sit at their desk, and do absolutely nothing, or worse, interfere with other people’s work, you probably shouldn’t employ that person much longer. If your website is not actually driving measurable business outcomes, it’s probably a candidate for a redesign. – conversions, traffic, etc
Lastly, you don’t think of a website redesign of something that has to do with content marketing, but a website isn’t just about how it looks—it’s about how easy it is to get new content to your audience, how easy it is to find your content through good SEO, and how well you can engage visitors. It’s aesthetics and design, but it’s also usability, information architecture, and whether at the end of the day visitors – and potential customers – find it helpful and informative
This is probably where the first points of contention arise---assembling your rag tag team of adventurers. Everyone wants to feel ownership of the new website, and chances are more than once person wants to be in charge, but there can be only one captain. If leadership is not clearly delineated and respected, that could spell mutiny and disaster.
Whether you have an agency to do the design or implementation, or your internal creative team is doing the project, recognize that a lot of people have a personal stake in the outcome of your expedition. They all want it to succeed, even if they don’t get a seat on board.
Generally, the bigger a team or group of people in a meeting, the less productive discussions become. It’s a balancing act of representing all stakeholders, but keeping the core team small.
The people who are ultimately responsible for the success of the site—probably the marketing team—will play a key role, but you want to make sure that your executives, your product team, your sales and customer support teams are all represented in the initial stages. Designate a sole point of contact internally and at your agency and spend time on aligning goals and vision for the project. As you get further into the production and design stages, you actually want fewer executives in the room. Someone has to have veto power, and you want to avoid getting stuck in political battles
Once your team is assembled, and before you meet for the first time, I would actually recommend meeting with eveyrone individually to ensure they all see the project goals and map in the same way, and manage expectations before you throw everyone in the same boat together and expect to collaborate.
You can’t set sail on this journey without a vessel to travel in. In this case, I’m talking about a content management system for your new website.
So a web content management is like a ship? Is that what I’m telling you? Yes, exactly.
CMS selection critical for the long haul—it’s not just about building the site, but about the journey home and every future destination you might sail to.
You don’t have to have a design project to choose a new CMS, but a design project is often the best time to reassess whether what you have in place is going to meet your long-term needs and enable you to build a more effective site.
Who is steering this ship?
Who is maintaining the website once it goes live? – you? Your agency? Multiple teams across your entire organization? If you want ownership of the site, make sure you own the decisions around the CMS you use, and know how it’s going to impact your ability to manage your site in the long term.
Even if you understand that a lot can change on the way, you still need to chart a course to your destination based on the information you have available
Agencies often call this the discovery phase – this is when you surface goals and concerns, any limitations in terms of resources or scheduling
You should also research your audience, your industry, look at the competition, consider your past projects, and generally remove as many unknowns as possible
Based on your intended go-live date, business goals, budget, and availability of people and resources, create a conservative, sensible timeline for your project with milestones and enough time to reach them
This is also when you should come up with the right information architecture for your site to ensure that what you build is well organized and user friendly.
So what sort of gear do you need for this kind of expedition? Fortunately, you can pack pretty light, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a lot of work involved. Besides having a budget
You should do a thorough content and SEO audit of your website
Ultimately it’s your content that’s going to engage your future audience and keep them coming back and doing business with you. Don’t assume that you can just stick with what you’ve got already. While your designers are worried about design stuff—or even before the project starts—assess whether your content is going to help your new site or hinder it
Content review/audit
Branding standards
Budget
Strategy, strategy, strategy
SEO
Content marketing
Understanding wireframing and other design terms
Consensus-building
Communication
All of these are going to be critical skills for you to get through this redesign alive. Most of us marketers are Jacks and Jills of all trades, but definitely brush up on what you know and don’t know ahead of this project. Don’t assume that your VP of sales will know how to look at wireframes, that your design agency knows anything about content marketing, or that your product manager knows what SEO is. You will be everyone’s guide, translator, and navigator. The more comfortable you are with the various disciplines it takes to put a website together, the more you can help everyone on the team stay collaborative and cordial.
When your team is less hands-on, communication becomes more important, you can’t over-communicate with everyone
Stay focused on the goal and be prepared to firmly, but politely remind everyone why you’re there and how to keep the conversation both constructive and productive
When something doesn’t go according to plan or the original schedule, your team will look to you to assure them that you can still course correct, and make the necessary changes to keep things moving forward
Be organized, forthcoming, and don’t take anyone’s attitude personally. This is scary for them too, and no one wants to be wrong about how to reach your goals.
Inevitably, something will break down. The designer will have her baby early. You’ll get a surge of political pressure to accelerate the timeline and launch on your CEO’s birthday.
You might not be able to anticipate everything that can go wrong, but you can have a plan B, C, and so forth, and build in more time than you think you’ll need
Have contingency plans for your contingency plans, and expect that things might change quickly and that it’s not necesesarily a reflection on your or your team. Things just happen. The important part is to remain organized and communicative, know what your backup plan is, and keep going.
Everyone is Tired, hungry, cold, indignant
Shackleton and his team survived on the Antarctic ice for nearly 2 years, with a destroyed ship and little hope of rescue because he knew how to keep his crew engaged and motivated.
The project has been in progress for weeks, or months.. Eveyrone is a little sick of it and just wants to be done already. It’s like the return journey in some ways. The initial excitement has worn off and people start disappearing on you.
Look for ways to keep your team engaged with the project, and busy in productive ways. QA is a great way to do that.
Now is the time to muster extra focus and motivation.
You still need to QA the site – test links
Tech audit to make sure your SEO will be good
Third party tools – marketing automation
Bring in reinforcements – QA can be a distributed exercise that involves more people than the original core team
But you definitely want to do all this stuff prior to launch so that on day one, you have a site you feel excited about
Order the pizza -- have the late nights
So here’s The big secret: your website is never really finished
All that stuff you just suffered through is just the tip of the iceberg because a website is not static
Even after his expedition, Shackleton didn’t hang up his snowshoes and wool socks, he was onto the next thing.
Once you hit the south pole--what's next?
Social media? Next project? video
True explorers are never done exploring and marketers never stop marketing.
Make sure you commit resources to ongoing QA in the first weeks
Conduct a post mortem 6 months after launch to see whether you reached the goals you were aiming for
And continue testing and evolving your site to make it the successful lead generation and sales machine you always believed it could be
Resources
People
Skills
Preparation
Perseverance
This is a highlight form our 65 page complete website redesign handbook - which if you haven't downloadedd it, it's on our website, but we'll also put the link in the chat window
and you can follows us on Twitter @percussion