www.npgroup.net

Planning for 2017: Website Redesign Tips & TricksPete Czech, CEO & Sebastien Jean-Baptiste, Art Director: New Possibilities Group, LLC

Welcome!

Today’s Agenda:

• Introductions• Why You Are Here• Phases of a Web Redesign

• Planning• Design• Technology & Development

• Budgeting & Economics• Other Predictions• Q&A

Introductions

Your Host: Pete Czech

CEO, New Possibilities Group

Co-founder of NPG in 2001

NPG specializes in highly customized design & development of web applications and content management systems.

Contact: czech@npgroup.net

Introductions

Your Co-Host: Sebastien Jean-Baptiste

Art Director, New Possibilities Group

Contact: sebastien@npgroup.net

Our Experience

Why You Are Here

Hopefully because you are planning a redesign of your website in 2017!

This webinar will touch on design & technology.

Common reasons people redesign:

• Design is out of date, out of style• Content became massively disorganized• CMS is vulnerable or difficult to use• Because “It’s been two years”

Your goal: Make this your last full-scale redesign.

Phases of a Redesign Project

Step 1: Plan, Prepare, Execute

Most important phase of your project.

This should be simple, if you know your business.

Design customer-first, not company-first.

What are goals / objectives?

Consider all possible conversion points.

The “Do Not_Say” List

Never approach a web design with these buzzwords:

• Clean• Modern• Open or White Space• Professional• Simple

Every customer says them, then expects to be different!

Dig deeper.

The Better Alternative

Approach your redesign looking to solve real problems.

Study user behavior.

Work to improve user conversions.

Aim for establishing credibility.

Study analytics and make informed decisions.

How to Properly Plan?

Either perform a series of internal discovery sessions.

Or…

Hire someone to do it.

If You Have Prepared Properly…

You will have assembled the following materials:

Discovery Findings Document – Your Specification:

Includes Goals, Objectives

Details User PersonasDetails Use Cases

List of design inspirations.

Web Design: Thoughts to Live By

Your website is a preview of what it is like to work with your company.

Buyers are more technically advanced now than ever.

All devices require equal attention.

Stop thinking about your website as just a brochure.

A Look Back: 2016 Design Trends

Card-Based Design

Minimalism

Gradients

Long Scrolling Pages

Hamburger Menu

Card-Based Design

Minimalism

Gradients

Long Scrolling Pages

These pages go on foreverrrrrrrrrrrr.

Hamburger Menus

2017: New Trends To Consider

Death to Stock Images

Devaluation of the Homepage

Focus on Conversion

Modular Design

Death to [Cheesy] Stock Images

Death to [Cheesy] Stock Images

We’re not sure why we are saying this in 2016.

These should have died a long time ago!

Everyone uses the exact same images since they are all sourced from the same places.

Don’t fool yourself: users can tell.

Your office, warehouse, studio all tell your story.

Hire a photographer. They are cheap and plentiful.

Or… Use your iPhone!

Devaluation of the Homepage: How Most People Think

Devaluation of the Homepage: The New Normal

Devaluation of the Homepage

The homepage can be first among equals.

Remember that entry pages are site-wide, if you SEO correctly.

Don’t focus 80 / 20 on the homepage. Tell management this also.

But, do let the homepage serve as a logical place to begin a design process.

Today’s homepage: Don’t shoot yourself in the foot.

• Make Your Claim• Reassure• Funnel Downwards

Focus on Conversion

Design decisions should be data driven.

It’s okay to make small design sacrifices to achieve higher conversion rates.

The secret to conversion is [really] understanding the customer.

Conversions aren’t just a “Contact Us” link.

Think about what you will do with the data you collect.

Modular Design

Modular design is the future of design and content management.

Modular Design

Modular Design will help eliminate massive future redesigns.

Focus is on reusable parts versus templates.

Problem: CMS limitations.

But there are ways to do it…!

Modular CMS Integration: WP

Technology

The success of your project in the long run is determined in part by the technology you choose.

Ongoing Expenses

Liabilities

Freedom

Lifespan

If There Was Ever a Time…

Redesign allows for a technology review.

Do you like your current CMS?

If not, why?

Have you worked with other systems?

What would you fix, if you could?

The CMS Landscape

If You Are a Marketer…

You must ensure you can manage the majority of site content without a tech geek.

Marketing moves fast and so does technology. You must integrate into MarTech platforms seamlessly.

SEO now means technical implications too: SSL, Speed, Mobile Responsiveness.

Don’t lose freedom because of a platform.

If You Are An IT Pro…

2017: The year of security.

There will be more and more enterprise focus on the safety and security of website management software.

Carefully consider available platforms and other options to establish true security.

Balance the needs of marketing with policy.

The CMS Industry Today

Most mainstream CMS platforms are based on old technology:

• WordPress• Drupal• Joomla• SiteCore• Magento• Ektron

The CMS of the future works differently, but the new technology may not fit for everyone… Yet!

The CMS of Today

The CMS of the Future

Which Pathway is Right For You?

Depends on your core purpose.

Marketing / Informational sites can work well with off-the-shelf platforms.

Any level of customization, commerce or interactivity should involve a thorough platform review.

Final Factors to Consider

Consider multiple factors

Security

Ease of Use

Updates & Upgrades

Maintenance

Scalability

History

Talent Pool

A Secret Relevant to ALL CMSs

This is the only CMS that can do 100% of what you want to do.

Final Tech MUST DO’s

INSTALL CLOUDFLARE OR SIMILAR SYSTEMS!

SERVE ALL PAGES VIA SSL!

MAKE SURE YOU 301 REDIRECT ALL OLD PAGES!

HAVE A REAL HOST!

MINIMIZE THIRD PARTY PLUGINS!

Economics of Agency RedesignsVendor / Client arrangements are changing.

Focus must be on continuous improvement, not a cycle of inefficiency.

Most software is leased. Why not your website too?

Our 2017 Prediction: This Will Be Your LAST Redesign!

It’s true!

Solid Technology Choice + Continuous Improvement = Agility.

Your next redesign will be happening on a regular basis, in response to data.

Does This Look Familiar?

There is a Better Way

Leasing?

Expect more agencies to focus on Leasing.

Almost all software today is leased.

Enables cash flow management and facilitates continuous improvement.

It combines infrastructure costs into web design / development.

No Matter What…

Get true budget ideas based on your thorough discovery document.

Final Predictions For 2017!

Video will be a requirement for credibility.

The rise of Bots and AI.

CaaS – Content as a Service

SEO Changes: But What?

Q & A

Our Next Webcast

In-Depth: Modular Web Design & CMS Integration

Tuesday, January 24, 20172PM EST

Additional Resources

Our blog – www.npgroup.net/blog

Videos - www.npgroup.net/videos

E-Books – www.npgroup.net/resources

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