It often happens that a client comes in looking for a redesign, and they don’t really know why they want it. One of the reasons is that it looks old and, that’s decent enough motivation. But, it can’t be the only thing driving the decision. It quite regularly is though.

With new sites, there’s often a service which needs to be marketed, and a website is required as part of the arsenal. Unfortunately, no thought has gone in to what the site needs to do for the business, beyond looking good.

I generally start to probe around, making suggestions on marketing goals, usability, calls-to-action, etc. and the penny does usually drop on the client’s end, but, that’s my doing and really should be the client’s.

Brian Cray wrote a wonderful article on his blog last month that I just stumbled across. The title is self-explanatory and it’s something I’ve been wanting to write about it. However, he’s done a fantastic job covering the subject, so I’ll just link to him instead.

Guidelines for Highly Effective Websites
Be strategic when you decide to launch (or redesign) a Website. Don’t just throw something together or you’ll end up with what you started—nothing. Always start with a purpose—the most compelling reason for your Website to exist. It must be compelling or you’ll die a silent and painful death on the Internet.