5 minutes
"The website is outdated and difficult to work with."
"The information is no longer accurate."
"Our CMS is holding us back."
"We feel like we’re falling behind the pace of AI development."
These are common starting points when companies begin discussing a new website, a new CMS or another digital platform. And there are often good reasons to make a change.
But there’s a question that is just as important as which technology to choose: What do we want the investment to change?
It’s easy to start with what you have today and let the problems you’re experiencing determine what comes next. A platform has become difficult to work with. The content no longer reflects the business. New needs have emerged. In that situation, a new system or website can seem like the natural next step.
But changing the technology doesn’t automatically change everything around it.
If the organisation continues to work in the same way, if information is still managed in separate parts of the business and if performance is measured as before, there’s a risk that the new solution will simply become a new version of the old one.
That doesn’t mean you should avoid larger digital investments. Sometimes replacing the platform is exactly the right thing to do. But it should be part of a broader change – not simply a change for the sake of change.
Start with the needs of the business and then determine what needs to change. This could mean giving sales teams better insights before a customer meeting, understanding what customers are actually looking for, or making it easier for customers to find information and handle tasks themselves.
The true cost of a project
A new project comes with a clear price tag. There’s a budget, a number of consultants, a timeline and an investment that is expected to deliver results. But the visible project cost is only part of the project’s total cost.
When an organisation rebuilds its website or changes platforms, the business also needs to invest significant time in the project. Employees need to prioritise needs, make decisions, create and quality-assure content, test solutions and take part in the development process.
This is necessary for the project to succeed, but it takes time away from the work the organisation would otherwise be doing. New ideas are put on hold until the new platform is ready, content that should be updated gets pushed into the future, and other improvements are deprioritised because the organisation is already fully occupied with the major project.
This creates a paradox: you invest in developing the digital business, but during the project itself, ongoing development slows down.
This isn’t an argument against large projects. But it is a reason to factor in the organisation’s own time and the development that doesn’t happen when assessing the project’s true cost.
There’s another risk, too. When so much is being done at once, it becomes tempting to add more to the project: a new platform, new design, new content, a new structure and new features.
Each may be justified on its own, but together they can quickly increase the scope of the project. And the larger the project becomes, the longer the road to the next change.
The value lies beyond the technology
From project to continuous development
But a digital platform that is only maintained risks gradually falling behind. The business changes, customer needs change and new opportunities emerge.
That’s why ongoing work also needs to focus on understanding what works, what doesn’t and what is worth changing.
How do customers use the digital channels? Where do they get stuck, if at all? What information are they looking for? What does the sales organisation need to know?
When a major project is completed and the work moves into maintenance, the focus can easily shift to day-to-day operations, content updates and solving problems as they arise. What risks being overlooked is the continuous work of improving the digital experience.
Analysis and measurement therefore need to become part of the development process itself. Not a report produced after launch and then forgotten, but a basis for deciding what should be developed next.
**What should be better – for whom – and how do we know that it actually got better?** When that question is clear, it also becomes easier to prioritise. A new feature that nobody uses may not be particularly important. A small change that saves hundreds of hours a year can be far more valuable.
Investments that deliver value
A new platform may be the right investment. A new website may be necessary. Sometimes the technology needs to change for the business to continue evolving.
It’s easy to see a new platform, a new website or a new feature as the outcome of the investment. But that’s really just what has been delivered.
The real value is created when the investment leads to a change in the business.
That could mean better insights for sales, a better understanding of what customers are looking for, fewer manual tasks or easier self-service for customers.
The relevant outcome depends on the needs of the business. The important thing is to be clear about the desired outcome before deciding what to build.
Checklist for your next digital investment
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Start with the needs of the business
Start with what needs to improve for customers and the business. Not with which technology you want to replace.
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Define the outcome you want to achieve
Decide what the investment should actually lead to. This could mean better support for sales, deeper customer insights, increased self-service or less manual work.
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Consider the full cost
Don’t just look at the project budget. Also consider the time required from the organisation and the development work that risks being put on hold while the project is underway.
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Separate what needs to happen now
When a major project starts, it’s easy to want to redesign the platform, design, content and features all at once. Prioritise what really needs to change and let the rest evolve over time.
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Plan for what happens after launch
A new platform is the beginning of the next phase, not the end of the work. Make sure there are clear responsibilities, ways of working and resources for continuous development.
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Use data to prioritise
Track how customers and the business actually use the digital solutions. Let analysis and measurement help determine what should be developed next.
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Look at your systems as a whole
Start with what information needs to be available and who needs access to it. Not every system needs to be replaced or integrated, but information needs to flow where it creates value.
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Choose the technology last
When needs, desired outcomes and ways of working are clear, it becomes easier to determine whether the solution is a new platform, further development of the existing one or something in between.
What happens next?
What happens when the project is complete? Is information being used more effectively? Has it become easier for customers to find information and handle their needs themselves?
And above all: have the ways of working changed so that we can continue improving what we have?
That’s where the real impact of a digital investment is determined.
Perhaps the next investment doesn’t need to start with the question of which CMS to choose or which new technology we need.
It can start with something much simpler: What do we need to do better for our customers and our business, and what needs to change for us to do it?
Insights for digital leaders
Sometimes the answer is a new platform. Sometimes it’s developing the one we already have.
Technology itself doesn’t create the impact. It’s what the business does with it.
Andreas Ronder
Digital strategist and business developer with experience in digital initiatives and product development. He connects business, users, and technology to create solutions with measurable impact.
