We have extensive experience in building websites and crafting digital strategies for clients of all sizes. We understand the significant effort that goes into every project. While each project has its own unique quirks and challenges, designing and building an enterprise website is particularly complex, requiring substantial upfront investment in planning and strategy.
Enterprise websites often consist of thousands of pages of content or even hundreds of separate microsites. Overhauling the design and information architecture of such sites can quickly become overwhelming. Building an enterprise site from scratch is equally challenging, as it demands the foresight to plan for a variety of scenarios and use cases that may not yet have arisen.
Through our work with enterprise clients over the years, we have gained deep insights into what works and what doesn’t when designing digital experiences at this level. Below, we share some of the strategies we know make a difference.
Be Relentlessly User-Focused
When redesigning a website or building a new one, companies often prioritise the story they want to tell over the information their users need. While a website should represent your company online, it must do more than just look good. Ultimately, the website exists for one purpose: to serve your users. Every decision about the website should be based on whether the end result benefits users.
It’s helpful to regularly revisit this question throughout the strategy and planning phases: What more can you do to exceed the user’s expectations, enhance their experience, and ensure they leave with a positive impression of your company, having achieved their goals?
Understand User Personas and Internal Stakeholders
To be relentlessly user-focused, you must first understand your audience. At the enterprise level, this audience is likely diverse, including people from various regions, roles, and functions, each with different tasks they aim to accomplish on your site. While you may not be able to address everyone effectively, with some effort, you can identify the most important segments of your audience and design the site to meet their needs.
Internal stakeholders also play a crucial role in shaping site architecture and design. Stakeholders from different departments bring valuable insights into what customers want and need from the site. The perspectives of marketing compared to sales, or operations compared to human resources, for instance, will differ. Understanding these differences provides a more comprehensive view of where the greatest opportunities lie.
Focus on Breadth, Depth, and Layout of Content
At the enterprise level, content needs are usually complex. You have multiple distinct user groups to reach, and content flows must be tailored to each.
In terms of content, aim to balance breadth and depth. Overly broad content lacks meaningful focus, while too narrow a strategy risks alienating users whose questions or needs aren’t addressed. Too much depth can overwhelm your audience, while not enough fails to provide value.
Equally important to the types of content you create is how you present it. Given that online attention spans are shrinking, assume most users won’t read or watch your content in its entirety. Design layouts that make text easy to skim and highlight the key takeaways so they stand out.
Always Prioritise Mobile
Every business with a website now understands that the mobile experience is as crucial, if not more so, than the desktop experience. Mobile usability is also key to your brand’s visibility in search results.
From a user’s perspective, poor mobile usability suggests that the brand either doesn’t care about the user experience or is stuck in an era where desktop was the primary focus. Both assumptions erode user trust, can reduce site conversions, and tarnish your brand’s image if not addressed.
Designing mobile experiences, especially retrofitting existing desktop sites for mobile, becomes more complex at the enterprise level where content is extensive and navigation layers are numerous. However, prioritising mobile is worth the effort to keep users satisfied and has been shown to positively impact sales in both B2B and B2C settings.
Building Better Enterprise Experiences
Designing effective digital experiences for enterprises presents unique challenges due to scale and complexity. However, with strategic planning and a well-executed process, this goal is achievable.
By focusing on the user’s needs and continually asking what will make the experience faster, more efficient, and more satisfying, you can ensure that, regardless of scale, you’ll be creating something that engages and delights users.