‘Always beta’ sites are invariably better
For most businesses, website maintenance means a redevelopment every three years or so – and not much else in between. Lessons learned from one upgrade are incorporated into the next release, and the website improves… very slowly.
Using this model, the time between identifying a problem and resolving it to unlock value can be as long as three years. Clearly, this is not ideal.
Fortunately, along came Web 2.0. One of the main principles of Web 2.0 product development, which has underwritten the rapid rise and success of its products, is the concept of ‘always beta’.
‘Always beta’ simply means designing and launching online web assets rapidly and frequently. At every redesign, as long as user-centred design principles are applied, the business notches up an incremental improvement on the experience.
Embracing the ‘always beta’ principle requires a major shift in mind-set for the heads of e-business, the online channel, and website managers.
It’s a huge departure from doing one major overhaul every three years – which involves an element of crystal ball gazing as you try to build a site that will work for your business over that period. With ‘always beta’, you manage ongoing development all of the time.
To overcome the organisational challenge of mobilising this approach for managing the online channel, you need a plan.
First, gain the full support of the internal and external technical development teams, so you are all working together on this ongoing optimisation path.
Secondly, arm yourself with the right tools. A key tool in capability development is a platform to conduct real-time user testing, also known as multivariate testing (MVT).
The notion of MVT is to get users to help you discover the optimum online experience. The qualitative research and expert knowledge is the basis of your product design. Once built, put it to the test in a democratic environment, where real users vote with their clicks.
MVT isn’t limited to website redesign. Marketers can use this technique to optimise email or paid search campaigns, or to optimise conversions on a website landing page.