Launching a new website… risky business?

The Internet consultancy company Jungle Rating has studied the phenomenon that is the launch of a redesigned website. According to some, this isn’t always a risk-free undertaking. Gerry McGovern, a web content management guru, for one, is not a fan of website redesigning. According to him, important changes to a design could drive away visitors. Many large companies like Google.com, Marktplaats.nl or Startpagina.nl have undergone nearly no modifications at all during the past few years, although they could afford an army of web designers.

According to Robert Jan van Nouhuys at Jungle Rating, the launch of a new website can entail a drop in PageRank (i.e. search engine ranking). This is generally only a temporary problem, for after a couple of weeks, positions are regained and in most cases, rankings are even better. “Consider this an investment with delayed yet manifold profits”.

Alternative solutions can be to release the websites in parts, which allows you to perform measurements at each release, or to implicate a test panel before the launch.

In conclusion, changing your website is not a matter to be taken lightly. Don’t launch a new website without giving it some thought. Reflect on the pros and cons as well as possible implications. Plan your change thoroughly and you’ll reap the rewards afterwards.