When a website re-launch doesn’t go exactly the way a company had planned it, it is often the task of a B2B marketing expert to explain why. The general trend is that web design companies have done their job correctly and that the website visually looks fantastic, the problem has come from the company employing the designers, and a less than sturdy brief.
The prime reason you will find dissatisfied consumers is that their funky looking new website isn’t enticing the masses of enquiries (and thus sales) that they had in mind. When this happens most b2b marketing specialists will try to explain that the reason they have not got what they had hoped is because they failed to create a specification that tackles every angle of a re-launch.
A lot of companies who re-launch their websites will only think as far as needing more clients, employing web designers and then asking them to get on with the job. What is missing is the understanding that having an attractive looking site is only half of the battle and it will certainly not solely re-align the message that the brand is looking to give out. Planning a website is more than just good looking graphics, a company needs to employ some strategic thinking before they start with the design process What these companies really needed was some strategic thinking in order to target the right people way before they get started on the design stage.
An eye catching website is obviously a fantastic tool to have and will generate a level of interest; however, you have to make certain that when customers delve a little deeper into your site that the substance is as good as the aesthetics. Imagine buying a sandwich that looks tasty but when you taste it, it has gone off.
The trick is obvious, and really not a trick at all. When considering a website overhaul you need to consider the design but you also need to reconsider a great message behind the new graphics. Further to this, the two need to work brilliantly together. The frontage attracts the attention of the intended parties and the message makes them act or, more to the point, buy. They stay interested and interact.
The truth is, both the image and the substance are critical to success, however the point that many miss is that the message must be created first as this will impact everything (Navigation, look and feel, message, image choice, colours). If you don’t do this your chosen graphic design company are designing blindly, and probably won’t attract the clients you require. The impact that this can have on a business can be huge, with companies realising that they need to re-design to create the expected results; creating further cost and further delay which can be terminal.
The point of this article is to explain that attractive aesthetics attract but it’s the message behind the marketing that really seals the sale. So if you have a website that is not performing as you would like it to; don’t have a go at your design company – it was probably you that briefed them!
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