Make Over Solutions
For the last four years, most businesses and organizations have frenetically created websites, put their brochure and product material on the internet and “gone with the flow”. Lots of websites are very effectively cutting communications costs, reaching the groups they are intended for and greatly extending the profile of the organization. For many, tough, becoming an e-business has required a steep learning curve. The site may still not reach those for whom it was intended or fit the vision for this new public channel. Zauq New Media has specialized in people-based web communication for quite some time now and has started offering a “ground force” type team for improving e-Communications.
Do you recognize any of these problems?
Apart from technical hiccups, web communication can give disappointing results because:
The site isn't optimized
The site may have grown over time rather than been structured for best organization of its content and services to please its users (many people put on the site what they know and don't view it from user perspective.)
The site may be too complex for many to navigate
For example 100 links or more from the “home page” might be great for a reference site but coupled with email communications, ”search” and other features could confuse users before they get started.
Graphical style is not carried through the site
Has as much graphical design gone into the website and its content as for the company image, headed paper and brochures in the past?
The site is slow to use
The illustrations, animations, large pictures or other features are often slow to load and do not work with all browsers.
The site isn't accessible
The site may not be accessible for users who cannot read well, are unable to see or those who use additional technology because of disability. Although this might not always seem necessary within some businesses it is now the law to have particular sites accessible and can be quite simple to achieve if you know how.
Many small details can often be addressed with relatively small cost and quite amazing results.
Take a look at your website
Before you consider a “makeover” it is important to draw the website in to the centre of the organization or business.
Does it instantly project your organization at the first glance- your culture, what you do, how to get in touch, etc.
Are you getting the traffic and usage you'd like? Do the people you expect use the site and does it enhance your organization or business? If not what do you think might add to its effectiveness?
Does it provide an easy mechanism for you to show products and services? Can you update it easily or do you need technical wizards?
Does it need updating? Often people produce a website and almost forget about it, so looking critically at what is there and how it is used can help hugely in refocusing this important communication.
Often a critical look at the site, its internal processes and the appearance quickly shows what is needed.
What's in a “Makeover”?
Zauq New Media offer five steps to a “makeover”. Not everyone needs all of these although most of the people benefit from the first three;
Step 1 – Get to know the site and its role. This step normally takes the form of an exchange of information and a meeting. The role is for Zauq New Media experts to understand where the website fits in to the organization. It is also important to understand the vision. The outcome is normally an exchange of questions and a list of ideas that will help position the more detailed work to follow.
Step 2 – Website review. Seen against the priorities and vision set in step 1, the existing site is reviewed and solutions put forward to issues found with new layouts or content processes proposed. The outcome is a detailed report on the site focusing on achieving the requirements set out in step 1. Normally the report would be sent to the client but also a meeting arranged to discuss findings so these can be positioned within the organization and it isn't just another report with no action plan.
Step 3 – Usability and accessibility workshop. If this step is requested with the review then it is normally coupled with reporting of findings. The idea is to run a workshop to explain good practice in usability and what is needed to fit within government guidelines for accessibility so the site conforms to new disability legislation. The workshop can be for managers, for the technical team or split in two sessions so that all understand points of visualization and content organization that makes the web more effective.
Step 4 – Produce graphical elements or new content layouts. Often at this point technical staff within an organization will act on the report and with the knowledge provided in the workshop can proceed. Zauq New Media does have a graphical design team who understand too how to produce content that works on the web and can be updated more easily. The outcome of this stage would be a “graphical kit of parts” for dressing up the website internally.
Step 5 – Build the new site. Zauq New Media has a technical team who can build sites both those, which are small and complex interfaces that link to internal database. You may employ our flexible and powerful Content Management System. If there is not an internal team to build the site then Zauq New Media is happy to quote for this.
