Web Sites Gone Wrong: Copying a Look Without a Strategy
As the Web Site Turns . . . starring Company "C" . . . episode one . . .
"When we started the project, we told the web designers we wanted a site similar to the Prada site."
And so, the project began, seemingly without thinking about whether the overall approach of the Prada site made sense for Company "C". The web design company was experienced in creating sites in Company "C"'s industry. What could go wrong?
Who would have thought that copying the overall look of another site, without thinking through your own strategy, could be a recipe for disaster . . .
Company "C" needed to create a web site of their own, and said they liked the look of the Prada site. Who wouldn't? Prada is a luxury brand with a luxury look to its designer site. But if you're thinking of copying the look of Prada.com look for your web site, be sure your execution matches your strategy . . .
Prada products are visual -- most (if not all) buyers will want to see the products before purchase. In this product category, visual is probably much more important than copy. And this is probably also true if you're selling furniture, fabrics, clothing, jewelry, artwork, etc. But if you're not selling something that has this visual focus for the buyer, copying Prada.com might not make sense for you.
When you have a visual focus, you can create a site that has less copy. But if your product doesn't have this visual focus, you'll likely need more copy than you'll find on Prada.com.
And so Company C, a company with products that did not have a visual focus, contracted with a web design firm that specialized in beautiful sites with lots of flash effects. The resulting site was beautiful. But there was little copy to engage the visitor enough to keep reading. There wasn't enough copy to really explain a differentiated positioning. And there wasn't enough copy to convince the visitor the product was worth a premium price.
Company C needed to create an e-commerce site. But instead, they created a brand-focused site that relied on arresting visuals to sell their product -- unfortunately, their product category can't be sold with beautiful visuals. They didn't answer the most basic question on the mind of every visitor to their web site: why should I buy yours? Especially with an unknown premium product, you have to provide a persuasive sales message to really persuade the buyer to spend premium dollars to try your product. It's a hard sell -- but one that can be done with the right sales message.
In the next episode, more specific missteps taken by merely copying the look of another site . . .
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