Redesigning can be a major undertaking. Depending on the magnitude, it can be as chal-

lenging as a brand new design. But listing the reasons for the revamp and the goals the site

will accomplish, and then selling the whole idea to your management team, can help make

your site better than ever.

It can be assumed that any business that wishes to compete in the globalized world mar-

ket has a website. The medium has been mature for over a decade. College dorm startups,

old-world companies (think Ford or Coca-Cola), small businesses, and worldwide mega-

corporations have all benefited from and praised the return on investment that a strong

Internet presence brings.

Redesign justification

At this point, and probably for the foreseeable future, online initiatives are a given in any

corporate marketing plan. A startup might use this book to help build its first website.

However, almost any in-house creative department or web design agency will employ this

book as a guide for a website redesign. Changing a website can happen for any number of

reasons:

The marketing director is still not satisfied with the overhaul from just two months

ago and wants to see new ideas (again).

The current website, built on static HTML, has grown beyond its original scope and

now needs a content management system to handle the virtual library of content.

Government or advocacy groups have insisted that the business meet compliance

and accessibility standards.

The company’s lead web designer has learned new techniques that will greatly

benefit visitors and the site’s content managers (such as upgrading to a CSS-based

layout, adding some nonintrusive JavaScript enhancements, or expanding function-

ality on the back-end to meet customer demand).

Changing the visual brand is a part of your annual marketing plan.

8

OVERVIEW

Whatever the case, it is critical to ensure that the planned redesign addresses the current

website’s shortcomings. These could come in many forms.

Internal pressure 1