When did your opinion on a topic ever become the deciding factor? As a leader, you might have gotten used to having sway in a meeting or a board room – but before you let the power trip take you down a dead end road, step back to see what really should be driving the conversation.
Your Experience is Only One Part
Yes, you have valuable experience. As the CEO or leader in an organization, your opinion does matter. You’ve seen a lot, you’ve been exposed to the industry, and the gestalt of your experience does bring valuable insight into a website design process. But here’s the honest truth: your experience is only one part out of many pieces that are needed to create a successful website.
Put another way, your opinion on the website shouldn’t be the deciding call.
So, what do you need to make real decisions when it comes to digital media?
The decision process is kinda like a dry martini: three parts, shaken, not stirred.
One Part Data
The very first part of the exercise is data – website analytics, and lots of them. You need to know what is working, what isn’t working, and what ideas might get things working. You don’t want to remove your most popular page because you think it’s pointless; doing that might pull the plug on all of your current traffic. Make sure that you are reviewing at least 24 months of website traffic so that you can review seasonal fluctuations, and look for growth year-over-year to see what has changed in source traffic.
Data can help you to understand who you are really designing for.
One Part Insight
This is where your experience can come into play. The process needs to be informed by current trends in the industry, and by where the market is going over the next several years. Leaders have a big stake in making sure that the team knows where the industry is going, and in making sure that the site is in the best position to capture that potential.
One Part Budget
Budget: nobody’s favorite part. The reality, though, is that all marketing is driven by budget. You can’t walk into a website meeting expecting major changes when the website has a small budget. Just because you see free website building tools online does not mean that website creation is cheap. A modest professional website project can run 12-18K for a rebuilding project, and that is without any special technology or features. Temper your visions with the reality of what can actually be done.
Build A Team By Hearing All Voices
There you have it. You have the power to create a great website for your company, you just need to bring these three parts to the conversation and let the team participate in the conversation. If you are struggling to understand this perspective, I’m sorry for you. But it would also explain why you don’t have a good website. It’s time for a change. Are you ready?
