Instant website analysis - an off the cuff review of a prospective client website
19th March 2013

I received an unusual request today from a prospective client. Here it is in their own words...

"We are keen to give a fresh look to our website. We would like to have give the freshness with a new domain name, logo, entire re-vamp of the site, as per the latest trends, standards and happening!

Please revert to us, in detail (on email only) on how you can help us get into a new look for our company.

Based on your feedback, we shall call you and take the discussion forward.

Kindly do not send us your company profile, testimonials, or clientele. You are receiving this email, mainly because we have gone through your website/ someone has referenced you.

All that we are looking is ideas that are very relevant to us. If there is any specific question, please feel free to connect with me on my email id.

Our Current Website is (their website address)

Looking forward to your response no later than (date here). Based on our internal discussion, you shall be called for a small presentation of your capabilities after being shortlisted.

Once you convince us, we shall get into the discussion of Proposal/Quotes from you."

Normally an enquiry results in an discussion and a meeting if possible. However this prospective client is not really interested in moving ahead until they hear some creative thoughts from us. The client's identity is of course protected for obvious reasons.? Here was my response, an off the cuff review of the client's website. This feedback may apply to almost all websites looking to redesign or revamp.

1. Firstly your site needs to be non-Flash. We don't use flash anymore instead using Jquery and HTML5.
2. Design will have to be more contemporary with human elements? to provide the organization with some sort of identity. The design should convey warmth. People buy from people.
3. Loading time needs to improve significantly as people no longer have the patience to wait. This will happen automatically with the non-flash site and web 2.0 standards code.
4. Current logo is nice but needs to be simplified. Modern logo design? advocates simplicity and good font selection. Also logogram (the icon) needs to be seperated from the typography.
5. Your website needs to project the image of a knowledge partner instead of a vendor otherwise you will be slotted by price only.
6. Contact information has to be upfront on the homepage and in all the inner pages. Consider putting up a live chat to engage visitors further.
7. Navigation is not very intuitive. Its not apparent that I have to click on the thumbnail images to see the topics. Simple menus with dropdown structure would be ideal. Sometimes simple is best.
8. Content is very boring and neutral. Not at all engaging or valuable. It needs to address the heart of issues of your visitors.
9. Products and services need to be portrayed in-depth. Combined with testimonials, whitepapers, case studies and lots of supporting information.
10. Incase you are looking to hire people Careers section needs to be more? elaborate with options to list existing vacancies.

Based on this we hope to take the conversation further and hopefully the client will actually let us 'speak' to them.

Cheers,

Ron