Alexandra Mayzler, Susan Parker, and Beth Shaw - three of the five owners in the She Owns It business group - are updating or overhauling their Web sites. Deirdre Lord recently created hers, and Jessica Johnson updated hers as part of her company's rebranding efforts this year. Recently, I talked to all of them about their approaches to Web design and development - and how satisfied they've been with their results.
The Megawatt Hour, an online subscription service that helps commercial and industrial clients manage, track, and forecast their energy use and expenses, began operating in December. To create the company's Web site, Deirdre Lord reviewed the sites of energy consultants, brokers, and suppliers. Her goal was to create a totally different look and feel, one with fewer executive photos and more content. She aspired to something that resembled a site for a software-as-a-service company. In addition to offering cont ent, it had to be clean, simple, and consistent with the look and functionality of the Megawatt Hour's online services.
Ms. Lord knew what she wanted. But when she solicited proposals from large marketing firms, she said, “They wanted $20,000 to go through all the work my team and I had already done.†So she investigated other options, asking friends and colleagues for referrals, and posting ads for Web designers on Craigslist and on the career services Web site for the School of Visual Arts.
Ultimately, the last tactic paid off and she hired a recent graduate. “He was flexible and willing to design around a WordPress theme,†she said. Ms. Lord paid $5,000 for the design of the Megawatt Hour's landing page and related content, as well as a user-interface review and the redesign of the Megawatt Hour's software platform. The Megawatt Hour has its own developers, and they wrote the code.
Ms. Lord is basically happy w ith the site, which continues to evolve - for example, it recently added video. She says the company has a great relationship with its Web designer and will continue to use him. Still, she wants to be sure the site is clear and informative - especially to its target audience, energy buyers for businesses.
Toward that end, she would like to hear from business owners. Specifically, she wonders whether visitors to the site can understand what her company does by taking a quick look at the site and whether they learned anything from the content posted. “Our message is largely that we reduce cost by bringing transparency to the process. Does that come across?†she asked.
Please share your thoughts. In future posts, we'll discuss the other She Owns It sites.
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