We loved our old website, however it was time to practice what we preach and embrace change. You may have seen the press release on our mammoth task, to design and launch a new Nine Feet Tall website in just six weeks. Well, now that the dust has settled and our new website is now live (a day ahead of schedule), we thought we would share 9 lessons we learnt from upgrading our website.
Bigger is not always better
To design our website we partnered with Little Lightbulb – a small creative agency who specialise in website design. Don’t assume that a larger agency will deliver the best results. Working with a smaller, specialist team enabled greater focus and, above all, a fantastic result.
It takes two to tango
We allocated two internal PM’s to this project. With our short timeline, it allowed responsibilities to be shared around in an agile and efficient manner. This was a huge help for the two PMs as they were able to better organise their time around their busy client roles.
QA QA QA
No matter how many times you have proofed your own writing, often you are too close to notice even the most obvious blunder. Always get a team member to look over your work, you will be surprised what a fresh pair of eyes will find.
Paper & digital content will differ
It’s important to remember that content tends to look different once uploaded to the staging site. As a result, a piece you may think is perfect will need slight alteration – factor this into your planning.
Remember the audience
It’s easy to get carried away and end up designing a website which you personally like, however it does not meet the needs & requirements of the business. Always keep the purpose and target audience at the forefront of your mind throughout the project.
Don’t work in silos
You may feel that a certain picture & article describes your brand perfectly, however another colleague may have other thoughts. Always take the time to discuss options with your team mates before making a final decision.
Take inspiration from others
There are some great websites out there. When generating ideas don’t try and reinvent the wheel. Take your time, have a look around and see what you like & don’t like.
Allow for contingency
No matter how smoothly your project is running, there is always the chance a last-minute issue will arise; in our case it involved the hosting of the website. Always allow for contingency! You may never need it but it’s always worth building into project timelines.
Don’t forget your past
We didn’t want to forget all the great work we have done with our past clients, therefore we decided that our case study section needed a little refresh (check it out here). A new website does not necessarily mean brand new content, review what you currently have and tweak accordingly.
Are you planning a new website release? Or perhaps your business is undertaking significant changes? As showcased on our new site, we have helped a wide range of clients deliver complex projects would be delighted to share our recommendations and experiences, and explore how our team can help you achieve lasting results. Get in contact with us today on 020 3753 4692.
