Strange question, right? …especially since you’re probably accustomed to us asking, “Can you afford not to….”
But recently we’re finding many companies (typically high-techs with internal technical resources) with first- and second-generation websites which have either been completely built in-house, or maintained and expanded upon in-house. It’s one thing if that expansion consists only of content edits (content is never difficult to move into a new system); but it’s another thing entirely when actual development has continued over a significant period of time. What they usually end up with is a site with a lot of disparate custom applications and lots of hooks to and from various databases; i.e., a site that has grown like Topsy. It’s scary even to touch it for maintenance, never mind for another major extension or complete refurb.
These applications and database hooks might include things like event registration, training scheduling, a tie to a CRM (which itself might be home-grown), etc. All of them will have internal constituencies that believe in the absolute necessity of every lick of functionality in the current system …meaning that a cost-effective website redesign – that included standardized replacements for those applications at something like an 85% level – will be mightily resisted. But literally re-developing all of those apps and hooks at 100% functionality in a new, fresh system represents a potentially huge project … of the order of $70K or more.
This sort of situation has been observed to create decision gridlock in companies that normally run smoothly. Everyone knows the site needs to be redone to improve lead generation and enhance the corporate image; but there’s no agreement on how to proceed or at what cost. Typically, the in-house resources that got you into this situation over time aren’t up to this degree of challenge.
What to do? Well, in fact there are several options:
- Stay with what you have (although usually what you have is not what the marketing folks believe you need)
- Scrap everything and start over, re-developing the exact functionality you have today (implying a really big investment)
- Scrap everything and start over, sacrificing some bits of the functionality you have today in order to return to standardization and maintainability (maybe not perfect, but a good step forward at least)
- Consider a design-only project, in which you maintain your current system but give it a fresh new look, some navigational improvements, more lead-generation activities, current messaging, etc.
Option #4 is a compromise we’re seeing gain a lot of popularity. While not the “perfect world” scenario (you’re still not able to manage content or maintain the site efficiently), it gets you – the marketing folks – a new website that better supports the company’s image, as seen by the public. Such a project will run from about $10k to $15k to do right (for consulting and creative; implementation of the new creative may vary, depending on specifics of the technical context).
This should also serve as a cautionary tale for tech companies with a recently-redone website: it’s really best to leave the upgrades and functional enhancements to your site to the professionals who delivered it. It’s just too risky to build your entire Web strategy around one in-house IT person or Webmaster.
Nice post!
We have the same issues at our company and we can’t get the IT department to “let go” of the website. It is really hurting our marketing department’s efforts.