By now I'm sure you've noticed Richmond.com has a new look. If you're reading this column, that's a good sign that the sleek new design didn't throw you too far off kilter!

Web site changes are a big deal, no matter if the site features news, entertainment, items for sale, recipes, health resources or even corporate information. Interacting with a Web site has become almost a personal experience, so organizations that redesign their sites don't take the job lightly.

Several other consultants and I are working with a large Richmond-based company on rewriting the content of its public Web site. This year we also helped rewrite the company's intranet. Both projects are huge undertakings. The implications are enormous. The public Web site, after all, must accurately represent everything the company wants to be for its customers, shareholders, partners and the public in general. The intranet site is a real workhorse; employees use it every day to communicate, find information, conduct business, store records and more.

I can appreciate, therefore, how nervous Richmond.com's editors must have been when they pushed the button to make this redesigned Web site go live.

At the risk of coming off as a brown-noser, the Richmond.com folks have done some things that any organization should do when it redesigns its Web site or intranet:

• Communicate the change. Yes, the new design is fairly obvious to anyone who is a regular visitor to this Web site. However, it's important to communicate what has changed and why. It's best to do this over a period of time rather than try to cover everything in one message.
• Explain how the new site meets readers' needs. Although I do not know for sure, I assume the changes on this Web site were based on audience research. New tools and features, placement of elements and other design changes should be based on what users say they want – and it's important to tell users how you are responding to what they want.
• Ask for feedback. One of the strengths of Web sites is that they are interactive. There is no excuse for the lack of a feedback feature on a Web site, especially when major changes have been made.
• Give users time to adjust. Don't be discouraged if some of the feedback is negative at first. Any change is difficult for most people. When they're used to clicking the mouse in one place to find their favorite features and now they must click somewhere else, a little patience and understanding is in order.

Now, take your mouse and to the top left of this page where you'll find the Richmond.com logo. Click on it to go back to the homepage. Then, spend a few minutes exploring the new site. Let the editors know what you think about it. They're eager to know.

Robert J. Holland owns Holland Communication Solutions LLC in Mechanicsville. He works with Fortune 500 companies and small businesses to help them develop communication programs that support business goals. He is also available to speak to business groups about workplace communication. You can reach him at robert@hollandcomm.com, at www.hollandcomm.com, or by calling (804) 368-0312.