Eyes on the Finish Line
Last month, when I was feeling my energy wane a bit on our journey to the new TEN7 website, it turned out that was the calm before the storm. Suddenly things started to move. We were in the starting blocks, the gun sounded and we started sprinting toward our goal. It’s premature to say we’re in the home stretch at this point. This is more like running hurdles than a sprint. Still, we’re picking up speed and, if you look at the horizon, the finish line is starting to come into sight!
We’re seeing concrete progress now and it is exciting. The design, typography and colors that we meticulously chose are in place. We’ve started migrating content that we know we want to preserve from the old site, including our blog and our podcast. We’re also starting to focus on new content that will take our site to the next level in explaining our mission, our values, and the personality and passion of our employees. This includes new case studies that will bring the voices of our clients to life. It also includes our new “Behind the Scenes” series, where our employees talk about their work, what drives them, and what the TEN7 mission means to them.
One major hurdle that we are navigating right now actually grew out of the time we spent refining our mission. We realized that our podcast, which has now produced 124 episodes, needs to be more connected with the TEN7 vision going forward. To that end, what has been known as “The TEN7 Podcast” has been put on hiatus until we launch the new site. At that time we’re going to unveil a new name and a new focus that will build on what we’ve created over the years.
In the next week we’re going to finalize the new look and feel for the podcast. Without giving anything away, I can tell you we’ll still be focusing on storytelling and bringing listeners compelling voices and insight. This next phase will place more of an emphasis on stories that highlight both our shared experiences and the uniqueness that each of us brings to the world. More soon!
As we enter into this next phase for our site, here are a few lessons I want to carry forward:
- Follow Where the Path Leads
When you start the process of building a new site, you can’t just draw a straight line from start to completion. Part of the benefit of taking time to solidify your mission, your goals and your audience is that it allows you to align all your efforts around that work. Every decision you make should be built on that foundation.
I never imagined our new website would prompt us to rename and refocus our podcast, but now that we’ve started down that road I know it’s the right thing to do. It will add a little time to our journey but we will land in an even better place.
- Remember the Importance of Pacing
Considering the amount of time and effort that goes into a new website, pacing is critical. We didn’t sprint out of the gate. As excited as we have been to get this done, we’ve also tried to take things step-by-step, making steady progress.
Yes, I was a little concerned a month ago that our effort was slowing down. Now I understand the importance of letting things unfold at a rational pace, so we have plenty in the tank to push through the end. -
Embrace the Excitement
Building new websites is obviously not a new experience for me. Still, I’ve been amazed by how excited I’ve been as I’ve seen the pages take shape and the vision becoming a reality.
This has helped me remember how emotional and exhilarating new websites are for our clients. I hope to hold on to this feeling going forward, celebrating each step of the way with our clients and helping them feel as good about their progress as I feel about ours right now.
There are still many hurdles in our way before we can launch the new website, but momentum is carrying us forward. In the coming weeks we’ll be doing heavy lifting around content, functionality and accessibility. We’re rounding the corner with our eyes on the prize.
I can’t wait to share the results!