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4 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Next Digital Project

Here are a few genuine mistakes we have seen companies make when embarking on their digital journeys. Our hope is that you don’t make them too!

1. Believing you don’t need a specialist web designer

Whilst a branding agency might be great at creating a visual identity to communicate your positioning and values, and a packaging designer can ensure that your product stands out on crowded shelf space, don’t be mistaken into thinking they have the right skills to design for the web.

Designing for the web is a complex specialism that goes beyond consumers looking at something that provokes an emotional response. With web design you are creating an entire experience. A two-way interaction that requires actions to be taken and goals to be achieved, and if the experience is not enjoyable, your user gives up and visits your competition instead.

A website needs to do much more than just look nice if it is to produce the best results. A skilled digital designer can take your brand guidelines or existing identity and translate that into the online environment.

Site structure, navigation, the content and how it flows across the site as well as the calls to action are all vital elements that are carefully considered by a specialist web designer who understand the importance of user experience. The most effective solutions would be based on user experience research and insights.

Just as you wouldn’t expect your GP to do heart surgery, ensure you are using the right expert for the job to get the best results.

2.Forgetting the user

If you were going to launch a new product in the marketplace, would you invest thousands of pounds in it without researching it with your target audience first? Surely that would be crazy? Spending all that money without knowing first hand whether it meets the needs of the people you want to buy it.

Unfortunately there are so many companies that overlook the value of research when it comes to developing their website and other digital products. Understanding who your users are, their goals, needs, wants, frustrations and pain points means that you can create a solution that is easy and enjoyable for them to use. If doing a task is easy, they are more likely to repeat it, and if that task is buying from you, then the benefits should be clear.

It is so easy to make assumptions about the users and end up just developing a site that fulfils the needs of the business, but if the user is ignored, the site will struggle to reach its potential.

User interviews and workshops are examples of effective User Experience (UX) research techniques that can help to provide insight for the development of a user-centred websites, apps, intranets and portals. From building User Personas to crafting user journeys, the insight gained from user research can be used to optimise the entire customer experience both online and offline.

Investment in user research should be a no-brainer if you want to ensure the best results for your site.

3. Not allowing enough time to scope at the start

Once a decision has been made to invest in a new website or digital experience, the pressure is often turned on and stakeholders want to get the ball rolling.

However, spending enough time at the beginning of the project to properly scope and agree the requirements will ensure that the entire process runs more smoothly. We have found the most effective way to kick-start each web project is with a stakeholder workshop. Bringing together key representatives from the business, from decision makers to selected customer-facing staff and systematically working through important aspects of the project will produce a better scoping document.

Discussing the business challenges can help prioritise the requirements for the end product. Occasionally, we find that in these exploratory sessions we uncover other business opportunities or improvements that fall beyond the scope of the web project, for example changes to operational procedures to increase efficiency.

In addition to looking at the business, it is important to consider the consumers. Identifying the end users and their goals can help identify gaps in knowledge about them that can then be filled by subsequent research.

The benefit of these sessions is that everyone agrees the objectives, requirements and priorities for the project, avoiding issues being flagged later in the process. The outcomes from the workshop discussions are then collated and form the project scoping document. Once the full scope has been defined, it is much easier for a digital agency to confirm quotes and timings for delivery.

4. Being unrealistic

When it comes to web projects, you need to prioritise what is important to your business. If you continually change your requirements, it will affect your deadline and your budget. If you want an all-singing, all-dancing website on a shoestring, you will likely be disappointed.

Here is a nice visual that a business has used to help to manage their customers expectations perfectly.

good cheap fast service

 

In summary 

We share these thoughts with you because they are issues that we often see. As companies continue to invest in digital experiences, from websites, apps and portals, to augmented reality and voice activated system, we know that if these mistakes were recognised and avoided, more web projects would run on time and on budget across the industry.

If you would like to be supported throughout your digital journey, DotLabel is here to guide and advise you. As an award winning expert UX and digital agency we have experience of leading a variety of projects, ensuring these mistakes are avoided and your site is launched successfully.

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