Of feedback and Digital Personality, or "Think of Your Website as a personality"

I am a fan of Professional Wrestling. the way that someone can take a concept and turn it into a entire personality which draws entire crowds of people into your world. A world where your audience is in the palm of your hand.

Over the years  I have been witness to situations where the role a performer takes on just does not connect with the target audience.  So, what does Professional Wrestling do in a situation like that? The answer is simple, they adapt and evolve.

Now I can hear many of the readers saying to yourselves

"What the heck place does Professional Wrestling have in discussion on a Web Designer's blog?"

A valid question, if ever there was on, and the answer is quite simple

If your audience is not connecting with your product, you have lost the battle when it comes to getting onto the radar. A lesson I have realized first hand

Last spring, when I first launched Inertial Zen Designs,. I created a Website, and while it held all the information the customer
would need. Validated as HTML 5 and CSS 3 standard compliant, and yes even tested on mobile a major problem existed.

THE SITE LACKED A CAPTIVATING PERSONALITY!!

When asked their opinion of the website, the responses would include comments like

"it's easy to navigate"

or

"I can find what I'm looking for fast"

Both comments are things a content creator wants to hear. It was the unheard comments that shouted out more useful feedback.  Users did not feel invited to stay on the site, they were not invested in getting to know what Inertial Zen Designs is all about.

So what was the solution to this problem? Extreme Makeover: Website Edition of course. colors softened to make the site more inviting.  My logo got changed from resting on a black background to a Zen like background image that features a Bonsai Tree and a dragon figurine. The image of an Android tablet desktop replaced with an image of a owner and their cat using a tablet.  Information shifted to a streamlined feel, and reworked  to create an easier to read experience .

In short inertialzendesigns.com got a facelift equal to WWE turning Husky Harris into Bray Wyatt.

Never consider your website as a "one and done" project. consider it lime you would a public representation of your company. The user feedback will evolve itto work smarter for you.