A new approach to website design – What’s the big idea?

In the advertising industry big ideas are the currency of success. Doesn’t matter if you’re working on an ad or a website, you work your butt off to come up with a big idea that can be leveraged into a giant, category-busting campaign.

That kind of thinking is the key to a new approach to website design.

Big ideas are also the bread and butter of Silicon Valley and Hollywood.

Tech entrepreneurs are constantly searching for innovative, disruptive ideas that solve a problem, attract venture capital and produce teaming hordes of 28-year old billionaires.

And in Hollywood, producers are aways searching for high-concept movie ideas that break out of the normal, predictable, not-another-sequel playbook and produce box-office mega hits like Avatar or Titanic.

There’s absolutely no doubt that big ideas can transform a brand — from bland to brilliant. And there’s no doubt that your website is great place to showcase that big idea.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the typical website project, big ideas are as rare as a Harry Potter blockbuster.

You’re going to need a new approach to website design.

Most small business websites are nothing more than bad corporate brochures in electronic form.

Everywhere you look there are cookie-cutter templates, lousy stock photos and “keyword-rich” Ai-written copy devoid of any style, substance or value.

It’s like paint by numbers, and the results are mind-numbing.

I’ve come to the conclusion that we need a whole new approach to website design. Because the current standard operating procedure for website projects is all wrong.

It shouldn’t be a project at all, it should be an ongoing initiative. Your website should always be evolving and improving, just like your business.

“When’s it going to be done?” is the wrong question to ask.  It should never be done.

Instead, ask “What’s the big idea?” What’s the new concept that will differentiate this website from all the rest, and move viewers to action?

Everyone in the web development world knows that web projects get bogged down by one thing: “Content.”

The tech guys who build sites are always waiting for content. Sometimes, it seems, for an eternity.

Because that’s the hardest part. Building a site in WordPress is easy compared to the work that has to be done up front by the client, or by a creative team.

First you need some Strategic Insight. That means you have to clearly articulate the crux of your brand and your value proposition. Essentially, you have to figure out what to say.

Then someone needs to figure out how to say it, in an attention-getting manner. This is the Big Idea. (Think “Got Milk” or “Where’s The Beef.”)

THEN execution… Strategy, a big idea, coupled with interesting headlines, engaging copy, uncommon offers, authentic stories and brilliant graphics.  That’s the recipe for success in website development.

Unfortunately, most companies jump right to the building of the site. Like building a house with no floor plan or architectural rendering.

In the web design arena, the tail is definitely wagging the dog. It’s technology first, process second, content third, design fourth.  Nowhere do the programmers say, “where’s the strategy?” Nowhere does the big idea come into play.

Strategic content development is the most commonly overlooked element of any web project.

As I write this, I have two clients who recently completed costly website projects, and they are completely disgruntled. The sites are not at all what they wanted to communicate. They don’t say the right things, or show the right images.

So here’s my advice for any business owner or marketing person who’s thinking of “doing a new website”:

Forget about that. Stop thinking of it as a website design project, and instead, launch a campaign that starts with strategy, captures a big idea, and is then showcased on the website.

Think of it as a long-term marketing program, not a short-term project. Think of it as a new approach to web design that’s more holistic, more integrated, and more effective than the old way.

Yes, paddling back upstream can be difficult work.

And you often need outside help to come up with the strategic insight and big idea you really need. But the effort will pay off.

The big idea is the branding thread that connects all your marketing efforts… It’s not limited just to your website.

It can be leveraged in your social media campaigns, your paid advertising, your PR and even your customer service procedures.

When you begin with a big idea, the website falls into place quite naturally. Doesn’t matter if it’s built in WordPress, on WebFlow, or on a DIY site like WIX, it’s just another tactical execution of the big, strategic idea.

When it’s done right, it obviously aligns your marketing strategy and tactics into one, kick-ass idea.

For more on the new approach to website design, try this post.

If you’d like an affordable, honest assessment of your current strategy and website tactics, click here. 

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