DesignByNumbers

“Why do you need a website?”

In this second blog based on our Techalliance workshop on (re)designing corporate websites, we explore the first question we always ask our clients. It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many companies don’t have a clear answer prepared - which is interesting because the answer to this question is the foundation that informs every design, implementation and technology decision in the website creation process. Your website exists to help you achieve your goals, and defining what you want to accomplish is the first step in creating a site that works for you.

There are a lot of competing technologies and approaches in web design, and having a clear goal for your website is the best way to narrow the choices you’ll be making. Designing a website is a lot like reaching for a tool from a giant toolbox - you have to pick the right tool for the job. If you are trying to screw two pieces of wood together a hammer is a poor choice compared to a screwdriver. The requirements for a website that sells products are vastly different from an informational brochure site that simply serves to introduce the world to your company and brand.

Credibility / Brand Image

The number one reason companies need a website is simply to establish credibility with their audience. There is a general perception that a company without a website is not trustworthy or established. Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in researching companies before purchasing goods or services, often using the internet as a tool to read user reviews, determine if a company’s values match their own, learn more about product specifications and if possible make the purchase online.

“If it isn’t on the internet then it doesn’t exist”. Similarly, if your company isn’t online then your company doesn’t exist in the eyes of your customer. If no one can find your company they can’t do business with you. When launching a new website or upgrading an existing one, be sure to ask your vendor about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and allocate a portion of the budget to ensuring that your website ranks highly on search engines.

A non-traditional benefit of your internet presence is that a modest investment in online branding can create a perception of your company that is not tied to the physical reality of your business. It has been said that “90% of marketing is common sense” and a common maxim is that people like to do business with people who are like them. If your goal is to attract large companies as your clients, then your website design and branding should make you look like a big company. If you are a small business selling to individuals then your website design can be less corporate with a lot more personality and charm.

Leading through the message.

The purpose of your website defines how the navigation should be arranged and how it will “flow”. For business-to-business websites, a well-designed brochure site can be highly effective. Knowing what you want to achieve will help you to refine the messaging on your website and create a hierarchy that “leads” the reader through the message and content one step at a time to ensure that they hit every key point. A homepage designed in this way is a lot like a magazine ad: it requires a strong hook at the top, an engaging subhead halfway down that highlights key features and benefits, and supporting material below which links to information pages that allow the customer to explore the specific details that are important to them.

Strategy: Are you push or pull? or are you both?

How do you expect people to find your website? Are you investing in traditional print advertising or online banner ads and targeted email to drive traffic to your site, or are you relying solely on search engine traffic to send customers your way? Are you mixing your approach? It’s important to consider how your customers are going to find your website. Websites that rely on search engine traffic need targeted Search Engine Optimization (SEO)to rank high on queries and get noticed, whereas sites that are for familiar brands or are supported by traditional advertising need little or no SEO. Knowing how you plan to advertise the site will impact how the site is designed and the technology that is used, and will help you to allocate your budget accordingly. “If a website is online but no one ever sees it does it still exist?”

eCommerce / eBusiness

Are you planning to sell products on your website? Can you convert current business practices into an online workflow to realize savings in time and money? Do you require a secure login for your customers or a corporate intranet that integrates with your website? How do you want people to pay for your products / services online? Do you have legacy computer and software systems that you would like to interface with your website?

Every aspect of ecommerce requires a different set of technologies, and each technology has different time requirements to develop and implement. Often clients need their website in a hurry, and request functionality which is feasible but not within the time frame for launching the site.

Knowing what components are absolutely necessary for the launch date of your website, and which ones can rolled into a Phase II not only helps manage budgetary and timeline constraints, but creates unique marketing opportunities to drive traffic back to your site as the new features are rolled out.

Gathering Data

What do you need to know? Your specific business goals for your website will determine the kind of data to collect to measure the success of the website. Is the business model for your website based on advertising revenue? If this is the case you will want to collect more detailed statistics on the number of users and their specific activity on the site. Are you collecting and storing detailed user information and profiles? If so give some thought to what information you need, and what you might need in the future, and ensure that you are collecting the correct data. Also, you will want to ensure that you are compliant with federal privacy legislation, and that you are implementing a robust security model to protect your business and your clients.

Opportunistic Sites

While your corporate website is an important ongoing component of your brand, you might want to create a micro-site for a specific purpose such as a contest, product launch or event support that is separate from your main website. Occasionally, a product or event brand may need to have a stronger presence than the company brand, and it is appropriate to create a micro-site to reflect that.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 9:56 am and is filed under DesignbyNumbers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.