I love Q&A. The Socratic method of teaching is still the best. Let’s use it to make some sense of the key essentials of a good Web site.
Q: What is the purpose of a Web site?
A: First of all, we need to see a Web site as an extension of the business or organization. It needs to help the organization meet its business objectives. It has to be tied into the core strategy of the business. If it isn’t then it will inevitably become ignored, outdated and neglected. That’s what happens to many Web sites.
Q: What are the consequences of failing to link a Web site to business objectives?
A: For one thing it becomes easy to tell if a business is foundering or thriving just by checking their Web sites. If the content is fresh, tidy and up-to-date then business is probably good. If the content is old, the design is kludgey and there are some pages missing, this means the organization may have lost its way. So we can see that a Web site is a reflection of the organization. Obviously, there are exceptions to this point, but for the most part it’s true.
Q: What’s a big problem with Web sites today?
A: I once did a survey on Web sites in Northeast Ohio and the one single thing that stood out was the lack of a clear, definitive statement of what the company is and what it does. This is besides the actual design aspect. A great, even cool-looking Web site, can miss this fundamental point.
Q: Give us an example of what’s missing from most Web sites.
A: The site should include a statement such as: “The XYZ company is the leading provider of (insert product or service category) and serves a global market through its network of reps and distributors.” Sometimes you just don’t know what the organization behind the Web site is about and a statement like that helps to define it.
Q: Does every Web site need a defining statement?
A: The exception is when the brand is so well known (American Greetings, Progressive Insurance, etc.) there is no need to provide a definition. The brand does it for them. Unfortunately, most businesses do not have brand equity like those giants.
Q: What else is important about a Web site?
A: There are several core components of a Web site:
- Design: the presentation of the Web site’s assets
- Interactivity: the level of engagement between user and Web site
- Navigability: ease of finding information
- Usability: the sum of the previous three components (for more on usability see Jakob Nielsen)
Of course there are many more minor points, but these are the main components to a professional Web site.
Q: How can you tell if a Web site is successful?
A: Always a good question. To some businesses a successful Web site is one where little maintenance or attention is needed. In other words it’s not essential to achieving business goals. To a growing number of other organizations, the Web site is helping them achieve their business goals.Their Web sites are essential to the success of their business. So in either case, success can be defined in large or small ways.
Next time I’ll probe deeper into the question of the core components of a Web site. So until then, remember “Wisdom is born in wonder” (Socrates). Oh boy, do I wonder sometimes!
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Tags: brand • business definition • business strategy • content • Jakob Nielsen • Socrates • socratic method of teaching • Web Site
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May 28th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
[...] my previous article I discussed the need to have a Web site reflect or embody the strategy of the business or organization in order to be successful. That strategy is embraced by the core [...]