Life In Internet

How do you know when it’s time to redesign your website?

What does “redesign” really mean, anyway?

Are there ways to sell the idea of a redesign to executives who may be hesitant that any website changes will rock the boat – in a negative way?

What are the best ways to integrate multiple brands into the same website?

These were some of the questions asked – and answered – at this afternoon’s session on website redesign. Moderator Jack Aaronson closed the session with a question to the retail panelists that got to the heart of the matter: “What is the one piece of advice you’d give retailers considering or implementing a site redesign?”

Bare Escentuals’ Sarah Veit, the company’s VP, Direct to Consumer, tackled the question first – and didn’t hesitate in her response.

Planning is essential. “Know what you’re trying to accomplish and go into the process with your plan in place,” she said. “Be robust with your requirements.” She also cautioned retailers to think about every part of the organization that could be touched by a massive web redesign. For example: Those who reconcile finances or handle sales tax remittance need to understand the changes. If a redesign will cause information to be communicated differently to the warehouses or shipping departments, they need to be brought into the loop. “When you start thinking about the technicals, it’s massive,” Veit said. “And getting people excited is crucial.”

While planning is important, another fundamental element important to a site redesign is prioritization, said Ken Mowry, VP Marketing and Creative, Charming Direct. To paraphrase from Charming Direct President Bill Bass, he said, retailers in the midst of a site redesign should “learn to keep the pirates off your ship.”

When any company begins a site redesign, ambitions are high, Mowry said. “You’re going to want to do a lot of things. You’re going to want to tear everything upside down and launch it.” Retailers should keep in mind that they have a fixed point in time to work with, then commit to a date and prioritize from there. Companies should remind themselves that they’re not going to be able to accomplish everything, so plans need to be focused. “Bring your partners along and keep them on the same boat with you so you can get to the end result,” he said.