Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

Website Redesign: Marketing Suicide?

Website Redesign: Marketing Suicide?
Free Download - Visionary, Salesman and Pragmatist Model of Business Success By Jeff Blum
Name: Email:

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become an important marketing tool. With so many professionals paying so much attention and money to SEO efforts, I am shocked by a huge mistake I see made repeatedly – site redesigns that break old links.

There are three primary ways of generating traffic to your website: push (email, advertising, promotion), pull (RSS/Atom web feeds, monitoring services) and referral (third party links, search engine results, PR, word of mouth). All three should be important aspects of your marketing strategy since people have different preferences for how they interact with your website. In fact, most would agree that you ignore any of the three at your own peril. Yet, while many write about the importance of getting third party links to improve search engine results, few seem to discuss the importance of making sure those links remain valid.

A link from a third party is something to be proud of and something to be protected. It drives visitors, enhances your site's reputation and contributes to enhanced search engine results. Broken links destroy all those benefits. If a web page is valuable enough for someone to link to, then it is valuable enough to maintain.

Some prominent websites I have seen destroy old links with a site redesign include: INSEAD knowledge, strategy+business, Chief Executive, A.T. Kearney, Prism, Across the Board, and Business 2.0 magazine. My goal in listing these sites is not to criticize them (I read all regularly) but rather to show the problem isn't unique to small businesses. If sites such as these, whose primary focus is on content, can make such a mistake, sites with a different focus may be more at risk.

Even if your site redesign involves changing the technology platform, maintaining old links is easily accomplished with a small script that translates the old structure (assuming there was one) to the new structure via 301 redirects (301 is a standard Web code search engine spiders understand to mean that the page has permanently moved). Any competent webmaster can do this. If your old site didn't have a well-defined site structure a different script can be written to convert each old URL to its corresponding new page. The legwork to map the old links to the new ones may not be trivial but the technology needed is.

Here's another useful tip: monitor 404 pages. You know 404 pages–that page not found message you see all too frequently when surfing the Web (your site's 404 pages is customized and offers useful information, right?). All web analytics software includes 404 reports. It is also quite easy to write a program to email someone when a 404 page is generated. This might be overkill but could be useful in the days following a redesign. By monitoring 404 pages, you won't have to rely on visitors to point out your broken links.

If you are planning a redesign you may wonder how much of an impact this issue could have. Most search engines allow you to search for the pages indexed and for sites that link to your domain. For example, with Google you can find all the pages indexed by searching:

site:mydomain

and you can search for sites that link to your domain with:

link:mydomain

Of course there are sites, such as Marketleap's Link Popularity Check which can help you find third party links as well.

Changing URLs for archived pages

In addition to worrying about URLs after a redesign, you should consider those that change regularly in your current design. A common example of this is a site which changes URLs of pages when they are outdated and/or move off the main page into archives. This can make it difficult to build good search engine placement, as links to pages of your website become broken or are never linked to in the first place because a savvy webmaster or blogger recognizes the link will soon be bad. My advice is to make sure that your website functions in a manner that allows you to move content into archives without having to change the URL.

Conclusion

In this tech-driven age, marketers are becoming obsessive about tracking changes to websites via analytics software, A/B and multivariate testing, SEO copy, UI testing, etc. And well they should be. But this obsession is internally focused. Marketers need to start considering the extended network of sites that are a de-facto component of any website and its search engine marketing. That includes ensuring that once a page is created and publicly available it remains that way.





Website Redesign Marketing Suicide - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Blum's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Tags: online marketing, search engine optimization, search engine ranking, SEO, webmaster, website

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Jeff Foster
WebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas.  We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing
- Visit Jeff Foster's Website

Jay Kubassek
(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek)  In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.

 

As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)

 

Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. 

 

Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper.  Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website

Casey Gollan
Casey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website

Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is a best-selling author, top-rated speaker and thought leader on sales development.  He is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

Kalena Jordan
Kalena Jordan is the search industry’s first agony aunt, here to answer your tricky questions about search engines. Kalena is Co-Founder and Director of Studies at Search Engine College, an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and other Search Engine Marketing subjects. She’s been marketing websites online since 1996 and blogging about search since 2002. For her full bio, view Kalena’s Linked In Profile. When not working, Kalena likes to go geocaching, hiking or fishing. She also plays a mean darabuka. - Visit Kalena Jordan's Website

David Acheson
David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

John Alexander
John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

 About The Author


Jeff Blum
(Visit Jeff's Website)
Jeff Blum is an entrepreneur, consultant, and researcher focused on business and leadership principles, strategies and best practices. He also created and maintains the websites, MBA Depot (http://www.mbadepot.com/); mgmtideas.com (http://www.mgmtideas.com/); mgmtstories.com (http://www.mgmtstories.com/); mgmtquotes.com (http://www.mgmtquotes.com/); and Webmaster Sherpa (http://www.webmastersherpa.com/).


Jeff Blum is a Silver author on EvanCarmichael.com
 About The Author

 Author Blog
 Author Blog

 Video
 Video

 Free Downloads


Jeff Blum's

Complete
List Of
Management
Articles

Name
Email
If you enjoyed this article, get Jeff Blum's Complete List of Management Articles For FREE!

More Jeff Blum
Visionary Salesman and Pragmatist Model of Business Success
Website Redesign Marketing Suicide
 Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
Dianne Crampton  
Marcus Arkan  
Michiel Jonker  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video




Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Loyalty Strategies Icon Loyalty Strategies
Marketing Effectiveness Icon Marketing Effectiveness
Dismiss a Franchise Icon Dismiss a Franchise
Tax Splitting Example Icon Tax Splitting Example
High Quality Sales Leads Icon High Quality Sales Leads
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Blogs For Startups To Watch In 2008
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008
 
Top 50 Business Plan Blog Posts for 2008
Top 50 Business Plans
Top Business Plan Blogs
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Abena Badu Mankessim, Ghana,
Abena Badu
Mankessim, Ghana
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Jonathan Voigt, $214k to $507k in 2 years
Jonathan Voigt
$214k to $507k in 2 years
Robert Iachetta, $372k to $921k in 2 years
Robert Iachetta
$372k to $921k in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Terry Matthews, Mitel
Ernest Gallo, E & J Gallo Winery
Ernest Gallo
E & J Gallo Winery
Famous Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur Advice
Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start
Guy Kawasaki
The Art of the Start
Seth Godin, Ideavirus Author
Seth Godin
Ideavirus Author
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     5 things to consider if selling your business
By Andrew Rogerson
     Starting a business…what are my options?
By Andrew Rogerson
     Seven growth industries to consider if you are starting a business
By Andrew Rogerson

Have A Suggestion?

Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!

Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information