Think Like Your Client

One of my clients is getting a “face lift” of sorts with a new Web site, set to launch on January 1, 2010. As with any transition, we have run into a lot of questions, a lot of confusion and copious amounts of head scratching. Not that we thought transitioning all of our content would be a cakewalk – but as we move our Web site into the 21st century by having more online compatible functions (such as joining our organization, ordering merchandise, registering for a course, etc), we have run into some roadblocks.

Some of the roadblocks are just par for the course of using a new online system and familiarizing ourselves with a new program. At first I felt overwhelmed, thinking to myself, “I can’t even anticipate what kinds of questions to ask in order to make this transition smoother.” How was I to know how to set up our online store? Couldn’t it be set up five-hundred different ways? What made the most sense in terms of setting up subscriptions for our online e-learning resource? I had no idea. Although we’re getting support from one another as we learn, as well as online support from the new Web site company, the experience of this has been an extensive, albeit interesting learning process.

Today I was having a discussion with a colleague over how we should set up a page on our new Web site when it occurred to me. Think like a member. How would I want the site set up for good functionality if I were a member? And better yet, if I were a complete stranger to the concept of this client’s mission and goals, how would I want a Web site set up to help me navigate for my needs? After spending some time thinking like the client, some things that did not make sense before started to come together. Although it may not help us to learn the technicalities of the new Web site as fast, this does help to at least point ourselves in the right direction. Now instead of feeling like I’m walking in the dark, I feel like I’m taking a walk towards the light (in that non near-death experience kind of way). :)

Knowing your clients’ needs sounds like a “duh” concept – but I think it is easy to get caught up in managing them that you can forget a basic need. At Drake & Company we always say how well we get to know our clients, but sometimes I find that because I am so ingrained in the inner workings of their business I can forget the most basic concepts. I may only forget for a second, but it always helps me to take a step back and think like a member. So, as we move forward with the Web site transition, I’m going to try harder to look through the eyes of a current or potential member. I feel good about this approach as we move ahead!