I have spent the last year or so thinking about redesigning our corporate website. I'll be the first to admit our company's website is dated and the content is a bit stale. It has been kind of the story of the shoemaker and his kids… too busy working on other people's stuff.
I could just take the existing content, update it a bit and put a new front on it. But that didn't really feel right.
Sure there are lots of static and dynamic brochure style websites out there to emulate. This is who we are, these are our products, these are our services and here are the career opportunities. Put a pretty look and feel and customers will flock to our business.
If you make a brochure site the same as everyone else, I think your message would be lost in the cloud.
Currently we are building a new web tool for a client. They are focused on a cool theme and tons of graphics. Our developers are focused on making the application work at a technical level.
Something is missing.
Then I read Seth's blog and he hit it on the head.
It's the story that should be the focus.
What are you trying to tell your readers? If the story is look at our cool stuff, so be it. But if the story is something other than the interface, then you may be distracting your visitors. Kind of like fireworks at the ballet.
The interface should be invisible. If you have to think about it, it is distracting.
That is what I have been waiting for our web site… a compelling story to tell.
That isn't to say we don't do great development work and have a number of products under our belts. The problem was listing them in a brochure does nothing to tell a compelling story… and so I waited.
The good news, we now have a compelling story to tell… the bad news, the kids are still barefoot and I am a busy shoemaker.
