Monday Buzz: Don’t Fear Website Redesigns

No website is born perfect, and there’s certainly no reason to feel beholden to its current design or functionality. Over at The New York Times‘ You’re the Boss blog, Josh Patrick, a founder and principal at Stage 2 Planning Partners  (opens in a new tab), runs through why this advice holds true, despite the difficulties of a redesign.

So if you’re sitting there looking at your association’s website and wishing it could be improved, scrapped, or overhauled, you’re not alone.

“From my experience, the first law of website design is that the owners of a company usually hate their new site within 24 months,” Patrick writes.

If your association is thinking of a website redesign, Patrick points out some of the hurdles you’ll have to overcome. And for those looking to see how the story of his redesign ends, stay tuned to the Times  (opens in a new tab).

Other Good Reads

Twitter’s user retention problems are only getting worse. The Wall Street Journal notes a report from Twopcharts  (opens in a new tab), which claims that just 10.7 percent of the accounts created in 2012 are still tweeting, down from 25 percent in 2008.

“Commonality, shared identity, and culture that seeks to address and solve problems together.” They’re important drivers for any association, and the same should be true for your online communities as well, writes Demetrio Cardona-Maguigad at the Nonprofit Technology Network  (opens in a new tab).

The April 8 deadline for Windows XP users to update from the popular operating system to a newer one so that they receive active support from Microsoft is looming. And still, some organizations continue to dig in their heels  (opens in a new tab) and keep loyal to the old standby, according to Inc.com.

(ronstik / ThinkStock)