The importance of onboarding stakeholders in website redesigns and content strategy
Website redesigns and content strategy can significantly impact an organizations online presence, customer interactions, and overall success. Based on paste experiences of what has and has not worked well on projects, I find that one of the most critical aspects of ensuring the success of these projects is onboarding stakeholders at the very beginning.
This blog post delves into why it's essential to onboard stakeholders, who should be involved, and the potential downfalls of not going through this step.
Why onboarding stakeholders is essential to a successful website redesign or content strategy
Communicating to stakeholders early in the project ensures that everyone understands the project's objectives and how they align with the your organization’s goals. This helps set clear expectations, avoids misunderstandings, and ensures that the project is on track to meet its intended outcomes. By involving people from the start, we can identify potential issues and opportunities that might not have been apparent otherwise. This valuable input can lead to a more comprehensive and effective website redesign and content strategy.
An onboarding or kickoff meeting doesn’t have to be complicated! It would typically review why the organization is undertaking a website redesign or content strategy work, how the stakeholders will be involved, the process for the work, and the timeline. Stakeholders can ask questions and make plans for who will support the work. They can also assess how the work will impact their team.
I’ve been on projects where onboarding didn’t happen. This lack of introduction to the project made for very awkward stakeholder alignment meetings where we were asking for input on the website. The stakeholders had no idea why they were in the alignment meeting, had no time to reflect on the questions, and some become intractable regarding the effort they can give and the resources they have. As an external consultant, it’s very hard to answer the questions about resources and why they didn’t know about the project sooner.
Onboarding fosters a sense of ownership and commitment among stakeholders. When stakeholders feel involved and valued, they are more likely to be invested in the project's success. They can make plans for participating in the project, or set realistic expectations with the website redesign or content team around how much time they can give.
Key stakeholders to include in a website redesign or content strategy project
Depending on the type of project, some or all of these key stakeholders need to be included in an onboarding meeting. Given that an onboarding is more of a presentation than a collaboration, it’s fine to invite more people than fewer people.
Executive team: Provides the background, strategic direction and resources, and ensures the project aligns with the company's vision and long-term plans. Their involvement is crucial for securing necessary approvals and support.
Marketing team: Offers insights into customer personas, market trends, and branding. Often they can be the owners of the project, too.
IT and web development: These teams ensure technical feasibility and help with (or own) the implementation of the redesign. They identify potential technical challenges early on, facilitating smoother project execution. You can’t take this team by surprise, given their heavy involvement.
Editorial team: The editorial team can be comprised of content creators and managers who expertise in content creation, curation, and management. Their involvement is key to developing a coherent content strategy and editorial calendar that aligns with the project's goals.
Content owners: Many content owners are responsible for creating, updating, and removing content from a website. They may work closely with an editorial team. Or, in the absence of an editorial team, they may do all the content creation and management. These stakeholders must be aware of the upcoming content work.
Sales: Offers valuable insights into customer needs and pain points. Their input can ensure that the content strategy supports the sales process and addresses common customer queries.
Customer support: Customer support will always have a soft spot in my heart, as this is how I got started in the IT field. I had so much knowledge around what customers were asking and the problems they had and would have loved to see website improvements to better support customers.
Benefits of onboarding for change management
Onboarding meetings help manage the transition by allowing people to raise questions addressing concerns, and providing clarity. This proactive approach reduces resistance to change by involving stakeholders early in the process. This meeting is a great way to set up continued involvement and helps prevent misunderstandings that might derail a project.
Downfalls of not onboarding stakeholders
Failing to involve stakeholders can lead to misaligned goals and objectives, increasing the risk of project failure. Stakeholders who are caught off guard or aren’t sure what is required of them can derail interviews, alignment workshops, future presentations, and strategic directions. Without consulting them, important insights and potential improvements may be overlooked. Plus we’ve probably all experienced stakeholders who are not involved early. That’s why the whole field of change management exists! People will resist the changes, leading to delays and disruptions in the project. Stakeholders may feel left out and disengaged from the project, negatively impacting its success.
Onboarding stakeholders at the start of website redesigns and content strategy projects is crucial for aligning goals, gathering valuable input, building ownership, and ensuring smooth change management. By involving key stakeholders early on, you can enhance collaboration, improve communication, and increase the likelihood of project success. Remember, the benefits of onboarding far outweigh the potential downfalls, making it a critical step in any project's journey.