Gawker’s Network Redesigns: Fail or Temporary Hiccup?
A few days ago an interesting article was posted by YM Ousley of Signature 9 about the redesign of blogs in Gawker Media’s network. The network includes popular blogs such as: Gawker, Gizmodo, Deadspin, Kotaku, Jalopnik, IO9, Jezebel and Lifehacker. According to the article, decreased traffic on the sites may be the result of the new URL structure which includes a hashbang (#!) tag. I’m admittedly no SEO/SEM expert, but generally, traffic tends to decline as the organic rankings adjust, and search engines propagate the new structure of the site. The site should stabilize, pick up, and hopefully exceed previous success IF the proper strategy includes page remapping for older pages, proper keyword density and page optimizations, cross-linking through partner and network mentions, search engine submissions, and of course, appealing content to encourage distribution. Additionally, the decline in traffic can be offset with an increase in paid search.
Search aside, let’s talk about usability. I’m certain a good majority of the user complaints and issues could have been resolved prior to public launch. Did the new design go through the rigors of usability testing and focus group analysis prior to launch? What could they have learned from the feedback? Recent history tells us that if a redesign is too dramatic for its intended users, they shy away from learning the new interface. Most users are typically finicky and resistant to change until they go through an adaption period. Such a sentiment was felt during the DIGG relaunch last year; and of course the user and developer grumblings from the constant Facebook changes over the years. It’s understandable with the pressure of deadlines, and internal politics, but this seems like an example of the Gawker team avoiding the due diligence required to fully understand the core audience and anticipate their needs and preferences. Or…were they so intent on shaking up the blogging world that they surged ahead with their redesign despite indications from test groups?
Here are a few additional thoughts to consider…
- Will each blog design really resonate with the intended audience?
- How usable is the modified layout?
- What was the SEO/SEM implementation/maintenance strategy and was it executed properly?
- Why didn’t the strategists build off existing SEO success?
- Did the content quality change?
- Were the content distribution channels optimized?
Additional REF: http://www.iprospect.com/media/newsletter_aug07_fujioka.htm
Posted by David Martin on Feb. 28, 2011
