Website Redesign: Approach vs. Appearance
For the most part, clients come in looking for a redesign to their website because they feel their design and look is dated or has become boring. The photos and other visual pieces are lacking punch or accuracy and they are looking to add polish, new elements and bring their appearance to a new level. This focus on upgrading the look gives us a great opportunity to enhance functionalities and usability of the site, since we have our customers ear. In my mind, it is far more important to build upon the offering of the site than the appearance. Overall, unknown to many, great usability and solid tools make for the best design. Approach in what you offer your site users beats appearance.
As an example of this, USA Today released new features to their website on Monday and also tweaked their layout to better interact with these new features. In making the readers aware of these changes (editors note) this line really stood out to me "Our website has a new look. But the real change is in the approach, not the appearance." USA Today wants to better involve their readers, their whole point of existence (finally). Their enhancements are:
• Scan other news sources directly on USATODAY.com;
• See how readers are reacting to stories;
• Recommend stories and comments to other readers;
• Comment directly on stories;
• Participate in discussion forums;
• Write reviews (of movies, music and more);
• Contribute photos;
• Better communicate with USA TODAY staff.
These are all great, user power, user generated content features that will build stronger bonds with certain readers (many faithful USA Today readers are complaining about the new site layout, but not me).
What can be taken from this for your business? Don’t just look at the obvious visuals when wondering if you need a redesign, consider that your sites function and usability may need a redesign. Make a list of what you feel can make your site look better, your appearance, and then another column for how your site can work better for your users and you, your approach.
My guess is that when you break it down, the more important column will be your approach, not your appearance.
Posted on March 6th, 2007 by Aaron
Filed under: web design
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This whole USA Today redesign is really sparking a lot of attention. I’m guessing the viral buzz being generated by the attention is phenomenal and a source for excitement at USA Today.
Whether the loyal readers like it or not, I agree with you that USA Today is on the fore front of where news sources need to be on the web. With social media sites like Digg taking more and more of their readers every day, the news sources need to do something to keep the loyalty of their readers. I agree that USA Today is heading in the right direction, but ultimately the readers will decide the outcome of that debate.
Beyond just the USA Today example, I think you hit the nail on the head with this post. A web site is no longer just about marketing and/or appearance. Web users are demanding “function” in addition to the ability to obtain all the information they need about your product or service. You need to be able to interact with your customers. You need to be able to conduct a business function with your web site, even if it’s something as simple as e-commerce or document management.
I’m of the opinion that we have only scratched the surface to the possibilities the web provides business. I’m excited to see the next few years as more and more businesses begin to wrap more and more business functions around their web site.
Thanks Jason - I’ve read through a few different sites today offering both thumbs up and thumbs down for USA’s efforts. Can’t make ‘em all happy and I feel like it’s the change part that has them upset, not the changes themselves. Anyway, I’m interested to use some of the new features myself.
[…] Weiche at Prime Advertising has written a well thought out article in regards to this issue and how it relates to the news industry and USA Today. This is a great […]
[…] in the first week of March I posted about USAtoday.com’s website redesign and new focus on integrating user tools to increase participation in their news stories and […]