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Kelly Goto on Website Redesign Stats

BY SUBHA SUBRAMANIAN

How often should you redesign your website? How long should it take and what kind of ROI can you expect? The answers to these questions will differ depending on who is doing the asking but Kelly Goto gives us some statistics to chew upon, based on her extensive experience within the industry.

Q: Kelly, you have literally written the book on web redesign. How would you define a site redesign?
Kelly Goto: A site redesign is difficult to define. It can be a complete overhaul of a website from an architectural, technical and visual standpoint. It could also just be a site 'refresh' that may not include any changes to the look and feel at all but deals only with a portion of the site. Whatever the redesign effort, it is an initiative that should be part of a larger strategy focusing on how your redesign and refresh efforts can result in a better user experience and help bridge the gap between business goals and customer goals. For the purposes of this discussion, a site redesign is defined as a change in look, feel and branding along with updated content and site organization.

Can you tell us the average size of redesign (number of pages)?
Kelly Goto: Typically, an average site contains 10 - 15 unique pages. This would include a home page, 5 - 7 sectional sub-pages and tertiary pages. A small site will contain only these pages, while a larger site will use these unique pages as 'templates' for multiple page use, along with an additional set of screens for necessary paths (sign-up, log-in or purchase) or web-based applications. The content on each page will differ but the structure is generally the same. There are , however, a number of unique templates on the site. A unique template is one that is used in only one place. A good example of this is the homepage, which has a design that won't be used anywhere else on the site. Another one is Search and/or Search Results. Usually the interfaces on these templates are unique. But generally, many pages on the site can utilize templates that can be repurposed over a large number of pages. For example, all second level pages will share a single template as will third level pages. Content or product level pages generally share a small set of similar templates. There are always exceptions to the rule, and generally unique functionality calls for unique templates, but overall a template count of 7-15 templates is a good place to start although this number will be refined as you go through the redesign process.

Q: How much time would you estimate for a redesign effort?
Kelly Goto: Generally, I feel projects should be broken down into initiatives that take an average of 8 to 12 weeks to finish. Breaking a larger project down into smaller and more discrete efforts keeps the team focused and allows for an iterative approach. The overall project, especially if it includes significant engineering to support onsite functionality (such as ecommerce or content management) may take anywhere from 3 to 12 months once you have gone through all the iterations. In general, I would advise a heuristic evaluation of your website to determine the structural, technical, design and usability changes necessary and estimate the redesign timeline based on this.

Q: In your experience, what is the typical cost associated with such a project?
Kelly Goto: One way to determine the cost is to base it on 'time and materials' meaning resources and hours for a projected timeframe. Typically, a design team will include at least three people -- a project manager, a site designer (or art director) and an HTML production person. On average, it would take 50% - 80% of time per person for the project duration to complete the project. This means approx. 20 - 30 hours a week per person -- which is 60 - 90 hours total team hours or 75 hours per team on average. General applied costs for internal and contract resources is approx. $50 per hour, $3,750 per week times 8 weeks = $30,000. Double this if you have overhead or higher per hour costs. This amount can be spread across many more weeks -- I would generally say 3 months is a solid average. This is a general approach you can modify to fit your individual situation. It may be, for example, that the client is doing HTML production internally, and therefore you will only be delivering designs, not code. Generally, however, it is extremely difficult to give estimates on projects without specific information on scope (but that doesn't stop clients from asking!) Indeed, having someone on your staff who can talk with the client to quickly and intelligently determine scope (and thus pricing) is invaluable.

Q: Can you give us an estimate on the ROI one can expect?
Kelly Goto: Many companies base redesign stats on sales, others base the ROI on reduced costs internally. At gotomedia, we suggest identifying these benchmarks prior to the project start. One of the biggest challenges we face is to truly identify what the value is of site redesigns. Forrester Research reported in 2001 that many companies spent upwards of $1.2 million dollars a year on site redesigns with a 'shot in the dark' approach to ROI and goals. Some companies want to improve the overall look and feel. Sometimes there is a need to consolidate different sites and branding across large organizations. Whatever the need, a company needs to first determine what business goals they have, and what ROI can be attached to those goals. Let me say that again: the ROI of a business goal MUST be set before the design process is started. If your strategy is search-engine focused, and you are incorporating an SEO Strategy (Search Engine Optimization Strategy), for specific results, we turn towards stats in click-throughs, fall off rates and search engine results. Tools such as Hitslink and WebTrends are still effective tools for analyzing traffic and tracking general audience statistics and behavior. We also use usability testing before and after a project to determine increased efficiency and brand recognition of a company after a redesign or refresh. If possible, we also get business intelligence data from the client, such as up-ticks in sales or registrations. Whatever the method, companies need to address specific and targeted goals whether qualitative or quantitative.

Q: What is the average time between redesigns?
Kelly Goto: Average time per redesign iteration would be a full-scale redesign and rebranding/repositioning effort every 24 - 36 months. Between the full-scale effort, iterative site improvements should be made quarterly, each with measurable goals. For companies outsourcing to an outside firm, reserve 5% - 10% of your annual revenue for site improvements and marketing efforts. We had an opinion poll on our websites that polled how often people redesigned their websites. So it follows that this is not statistically significant but an overwhelming 42.4% of users said "Once in two years". Once in 6 months followed a distant second. I think that is an accurate reflection of the industry in general.

Q: Finally, Is there any advice you would give for companies embarking on a large-scale redesign?
Kelly Goto: I would say - BREAK IT DOWN. Every project is overwhelming, but by breaking down a project into digestible chunks (initiatives) and determining a realistic schedule, assigning resources that are truly available and setting manageable goals, you can help develop a long-term strategy. Having a sense of the road ahead helps direct your team and your company. Also, approaching the site from a user-centered standpoint is truly the goal. A positive user experience reflects on your company and your brand creating a 'brand experience' that will determine the success or failure of your business. In the end, this generates revenue that no company can afford to take for granted.

For more information on how gotomedia can help you develop your redesign strategy or for a heuristic evaluation of your website please contact Kelly at sales at gotomedia dot com.