One of the top Web sites in the U.S. just got a redesign and it’s impressive. CNN launched a radically different approach to the online news experience. And the most notable difference is the customizable information on the Site like weather and sports scores. The Site is also loaded with video.

One key motivation for the redesign is that Site studies showed that very few visitors went beyond the homepage of their previous Site. It’s obvious that the CNN team put a lot of thought into their new product. It’s inviting, easier to navigate, more content and well designed. Personalization features are a nice touch with the introduction of “NewsPulse” — a feature that allows you to reorganize news stories by subject, correspondent or keyword. It’s all about consumer relevance . . . right?

We’ve been getting a lot of calls lately from businesses that want to “explore” a redesign of their Site. Most believe a redesign requires returning the Site to a blank screen and starting over, which isn’t always the case. At Catalyst we have adopted the belief that everything online is in “beta” meaning that they’re in constant change. A stagnant Site loses traffic. As we have learned in this Web 2.0 world new content and two-way engagement with your Site visitors is critical to build a stronger Web presence.

When redesigning a Web site you should consider several key points:

1. Re-define your goals for the Site. Don’t redesign your Site because your competitor across the street just launched a new Site. How will a redesign benefit your business? Are you experiencing traffic loses (analytics)? What can be improved to help your business?
2. Do some research. Analyze your Web data (analytics) based on the traffic to your Site. Solicit feedback from your Site visitors. Also, take the time to learn more about your target audience, their needs and expectations.
3. Audit your content. This is a good time to review the copy, photos, forms and other information on your Site. Is it still relevant? Is anything outdated? Does it still speak to your target audience?
4. Is your Site SEO friendly? Evaluate your Site’s Search Engine Optimization for keywords that are no longer relevant. Do you have tags that are missing? What are some other tactics to help boost your ranking?
5. Are you living your brand? Is your Site consistent with your overall branding strategies? This is an opportunity to make sure your Site reflects your brand.
6. Do you need a compass? Sites must be functional, which includes their navigation. A cluttered and hard to navigate Site is the quickest way to lose a visitor. Think of the navigation as the road map to your Site. Without it visitors will become lost and frustrated.

These points will help you better understand the value of a redesign. In some cases you need to redesign the entire Site while other scenarios may only include a part of it.

The British invasion has occurred again this past Wednesday with the entire Beatles music catalog released in a digitally remastered format. You can now play along with the "Fab Four" on the latest version of "Rock Band" on your gaming device. To no surprise "Beatlemania" still sells as copies of their latest venture are making accountants "Twist and Shout". Within days most stores and online retailers have sold out creating a long list of back orders.

All of this excitement has raised the question (for me) about the origin of The Beatles logo. Most of us know the story of the Nike logo designed in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson who was a graphic design student. Carolyn was approached by Nike founder Phil Knight and paid $35 for her now famous design. I should mention that Knight later gave her a gold "swoosh" ring and Nike stock. Could The Beatles logo have the same interesting beginnings?

The background of "The Beatles" name will take you on a "Long and Winding Road" among a variety of stories relating to its origin. The most common explainations are based on the following:

• Original member Stuart Sutcliffe came up with "The Beetles" as a play on Buddy Holly's group "The Crickets" – a favorite of the band members. Later it became "The Beatles" emphasizing the  "beat"aspect of music.
• John Lennon once stated the influence of the film "The Wild One," which featured a motorcycle gang called the "Beetles." Lennon is generally credited with combining "Beatles" and "beat" to come up with the "Beatles" spelling.
• Lennon was also fond of saying he had a vision as a child of a flaming pie in the sky that said "You are Beatles." (Perhaps too many psychedelic drugs influenced his memory on this version)

The design of "The Beatles" logo goes back to 1963 when Ringo Starr purchased a drum kit with the band's manager Brian Epstein. The story goes that both went to Drum City in London and Ringo decided to purchase a small Ludwig drum kit. The transaction was based on trading-in Ringo's old set and providing a little promotion for Drum City's new Ludwig product line. Epstein wanted the band's name across the drumhead with his only instructions to emphasize the word "beat" in the logo. On the spot, Drum City's owner Ivor Arbiter pulled out a piece of paper from his desk and sketched a couple of crude logos. On one of them, Arbiter isolated "beat" by elongating the "B" and lowering the tail of the "T", leaving the rest of the letters symmetrically the same height. Both Epstein and Starr approved the design. Soon after a London sign painter, Eddie Stokes, finished the design and painted it on the bass drum front. Although the logo was hand-drawn it may have been influenced by several font families like Strayhorn and Friz Quadrata. The cost for the logo was a mere 5 pounds (today $8.35).

So now you have the background on one of the most famous logos. This has inspired me to "Get Back" to work so I can earn some money to buy "The Beatles" box set. What's your favorite "band" logo? Leave us a comment . . .

v9a4edjbx3