Picture this: your eBusiness project is running late, the budget was spent weeks ago and people are starting to fall out. The project is at risk but luckily you’ve got the right people and they pull together for the last stretch and launch the site. The team celebrate completing a difficult technical project, but sales are disappointing.
What do you do?
More often than not, companies will launch another large project to replace the site. More often than not, this new project will hit the same problems and will not succeed where the prior failed.
Faced with this situation, I prefer to take a step back. Let a few days pass and remove yourself just enough from the emotional strain of the recently finished project. Then look back at it and find just 3 things you could change in a week’s time – they should be easy changes, requiring no new design work and just the smallest involvement from the IT team. And then just do them and see the results improve just a little.
Why would you do this, you ask?
For 2 reasons. First, the team will see your initial reaction is to disregard the work they’ve put s much effort to build, to throw it away and start again. You’re trying to make it work for you. You know there’s good stuff in it. Second, you’ll learn. By making small incremental changes quickly and seeing the results you’re applying Customer Driven Design and Agile principles to your work. You’re actually being extremely advanced in your approach to eBusiness development. And you will succeed, because Agile and Customer Driven Design are proven techniques that guarantee your results. It’s just a question of time: you can incrementally turn any website into an eBusiness powerhouse with the help of speedy change and all your users’ input. You’ve just set off on the road to eBusiness domination. Enjoy the journey!
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