Charles Schwab recently announced that the Schwab.com client site will soon be revamped, as we reported in last week’s e-Monitor Update. The firm did more than simply make the announcement - they provided a preview of the new site, so clients and prospective clients will know what to expect.

We like the idea of knowing in advance what exactly is being improved or added. When rolling out a redesigned site, many firms will provide a tour - or at least highlights of the main features - so that clients are not completely lost when they log in and find the new site. Even those firms that do make an annoucement beforehand, most simply announce that there will be upcoming changes, without going into specifics. We have not seen many real site previews - complete with sample screenshots and explanations - ahead of time.

This is something that Discover also did well, as an example, when it announced its redesigned site back in March (and we reported in Credit Card Monitor). The firm posted a preview of the new site when the changes were first announced.

Schwab made the upcoming changes well-known by posting an interactive Flash-based preview on its public site. The preview includes sample screenshots with callout boxes highlighting the new features (including an improved display of account information and a new online service center). A full-color preview insert was also included in the most recent issue of Schwab’s On Investing magazine.

We think this is a valuable step for firms to take when revamping their websites, or even just sections of the website. It’s a good idea to not just let users know to expect changes, but also to give them a sneak peak at what those changes are.