Website Reviews: A Great Source for Site Improvement Ideas
Jul 8, 2009 2:14 pm by Josh Gore
Every month, all of us here at Sitepro gather together to discuss the websites that we've launched in the previous month (the photo to the left is Chris Landon leading this review session earlier today). It is typically accompanied by lunch, and the typical "employee banter" that one would come to expect at such a youthful enterprise. Yes, it's a lot of fun...but that's not to say that there isn't serious business going on here.
You might be wondering why we do this every month, and why it's given such high priority...It all has to do with learning what functions businesses are utilizing, and how they might apply to other types of businesses as well.
As you might imagine, I am extremely busy gaining new projects and communicating with current and future clients...that being said, I'm usually extremely preoccupied by the projects that I am involved with (this means that I'm missing out on many of the great ideas/projects that are going on outside of Josh's world). By gathering together and reviewing these sites, it now allows me the opportunity to find out the various business tactics that all of my coworkers are implementing, which in return allows me to be a more valuable asset to my clientele.
"So, Josh...where's the nugget?" Well, get ready because here it comes...
Did you know that it's estimated that Nike spent over $400 million dollars between sponsorships and advertising in 2008? Wouldn't you like to know how this money was spent and to analyze the implications of the marketing efforts they've made with this money? Well guess what? You can!
Take a look around you. This high-dollar advertising is abundant in American society. Take a moment to think about what they're trying to say with the advertising, and how that may make in impact on consumer's feelings and behavior. You do not have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in order to find out what the "big dawgs" have learned through their research...it's right in front of you. Many of the same tactics involved in print/television/radio/direct mail advertising apply directly to websites.
In conclusion, because you do not work at a web development/design firm doesn't mean you can't conduct site reviews of your own. As a matter of fact, reviewing your site, your competitor's sites, and sites you admire with a critical eye is one of the highest-return activities you can perform when looking to enhance your website. Find out what it is about the site that you like, that you don't like, what's unique about it? Is there any opportunity to develop mutual partnerships with other sites?
The goal here is to implement the good things and eliminate the bad things. This is one of the easiest ways to increase your site's performance while making it a more enjoyable experience for your visitors.
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