The Pocono Record is a small community newspaper with a website to match. For years, the newspaper focused entirely on operations – getting news stories onto the website as quickly as possible. As a result, the stories on the site were the same as those found in the newspaper, and there was little additional content to make the website unique. The website’s design and layout were, quite simply, awful, and the site did little to extend the newspaper’s brand.

PoconoRecord.com needed a complete overhaul. Unfortunately, this is not unusual. As companies focus on keeping their websites – and the rest of the business – running, the website’s design can become dated. Something else is always more important.When this happens, the website’s neglect becomes more and more evident. Over time, the need for a redesign, even a complete change, becomes more important and more complicated. In these cases, though, small businesses are forced to invest more time and money in the website than they realized would be necessary.

PoconoRecord.com, even though it is a small daily newspaper, has many of the same problems as small business websites.Like the Pocono Record, you have to work hard to keep your website current and operational; it is easy to neglect the strategic changes to your website that will yield substantial online growth. After a while, your current website, with a dated design, no longer serves your business. It may even detract from your image. When this happens, an overhaul is in order.

The Problem

PoconoRecord.com’s website design themes were neglected for years. From the website’s inception, more effort went into ensuring that content got onto the website than into improving the design, layout, and navigation. Operations were cumbersome and fraught with manual processes. With the emphasis on operations, continual improvement was not possible. As a result of the bias toward operation instead of growth, PoconoRecord.com did little to extend the newspaper’s brand. The website did not drive significant new subscriptions, and it did not generate a meaningful revenue stream.

The Pocono Record recognized the limitations of its website and decided that a substantial commitment was necessary to turn this ancillary cost into a revenue center for the newspaper. The website needed fresh content and a new layout. The latter, especially, was a salient problem. PoconoRecord.com was characterized by clumsy graphics and technology that had become obsolete at the turn of the century. PoconoRecord.com needed new graphics, increased functionality, and a more efficient layout. Ultimately, the newspaper decided that PoconoRecord.com needed to be enhanced to the point where it could make a sufficient contribution to the business.

Given the new role of PoconoRecord.com – from being a web version of the newspaper to a resource that could contribute to increased readership and revenue growth – the Pocono Record decided to make a substantial investment in the website. Despite the fact the Pocono Record had a competent internal technical staff, the newspaper simply did not have the resources to dedicate to a complete website overhaul. Consequently, the Pocono Record elected to make a large investment in its website, which entailed engaging outside help.

To complete the website overhaul quickly and without too large a price tag, the Pocono Record needed a plan. Pocono record developed a comprehensive blueprint for a fundamentally new website. The logo changed, the color palette and design theme were altered radically, and the functionality offered by the website changed. Instead of merely offering the stories that had appeared in the newspaper, the new PoconoRecord.com was designed and implemented to foster a sense of community with its readers. Visitors to the website now could comment on a story, leave feedback, and communicate with the newspaper and with other readers directly.

The newly redesigned PoconoRecord.com fundamentally changes the Pocono Record’s presence on the web. Instead of being a clumsy extension of the newspaper, PoconoRecord.com has positioned the newspaper company for growth. The newspaper can extend its current print readers into online consumers, and the company also can cultivate a new generation of news readers on the web. Further, as the newspaper industry continues its decline in the United States, PoconoRecord.com provides a strategic direction for the newspaper company, facilitating alternative growth.

Key Lessons for Small Businesses

Newspapers may not seem like a likely source of lessons for small businesses. They tend to be old-fashioned and resistant to change. New ideas are eschewed in favor of a zeal for tradition. Despite these industry tendencies, though, the website overhaul executed by the Pocono Record provides some substantial lessons for small businesses in any industry who have neglected the design and layout of their respective websites. While newspapers traditionally have offered little for small businesses to emulate, PoconoRecord.com is a refreshing exception.

Consider your website an extension of your company’s physical presence. If you meet with customers or clients in an office or store, you ensure that the appearance of your facility is aligned with the image of your business. You keep a clean waiting room or office, a well-organized store, and sufficient inventory. Further, you encourage your employees to dress appropriately. If you run a financial office, for example, you wear a suit. If you sell building maintenance services, on the other hand, your staff will dress differently – in a manner appropriate the operations of your company.

The Pocono Record had a substantial need for a new design – a fundamentally reconstructed website. The project required extensive work, as the Pocono Record had not invested significantly in its web presence for five years. Instead of continuing to invest as little as possible, the Pocono Record elected to invest heavily and make PoconoRecord.com an important part of the newspaper’s growth strategy. This is a model for other small businesses. Sometimes a large investment in web capabilities is necessary, especially if your website is important to your business. The cost of the project may seem overwhelming, but ultimately, the investment will pay off.

Copyright 2006 Daniel Scheff

Dan Scheff owns and operates a custom website design firm in Massachusetts.