How Does Your Web Site Stack Up?

by Florence Stone
Convene Magazine
September 2002

Your organization's Web site may be limited to "brochureware," or information on the nature of your association. Or you might use your site as an additional sales channel, while others might even have a full-fledged online business. Whatever the nature of your Web site, there are some rules of thumb to follow...and ways to increase your site's ROI.

Helpful books on e-commerce include The E-Commerce Question and Answer Book by Anita Rosen, e-Service by Ron Zemke and Tom Connellan, The E-Commerce Arsenal by Alexis Gutzman, and E-Profit by Peter Cohan. Here are some tips taken from these books and related seminars.

NAIL DOWN THE BUSINESS PLAN

Most people want their site to feature the latest technology and eye-popping graphics, but any e-business Web strategy should begin by answering these basic questions:
  • Who am I trying to serve?
  • What am I trying to achieve?
  • How am I going to get there?
  • How will my Web site co-exist with real-time business or current operations?
  • Who are my critical business contacts hotel chains, airlines, tourist companies, and the like? How could Web links with these contacts help me add value to the business process and enhance my customer relationships?
  • What information do I need to send my customers?
  • What information would I like to capture about my customers' needs and expectations as they interact on the site?
You want to include a discussion of Internet technology in the planning and development stages the e-business site will be the better for it but you don't want to make decisions about what software and Web services you'll use on your site until you know what you want the site to accomplish. A big mistake companies make is to allow the issue of technology to overpower their business missions. Your Web site needs a sound business goal with appropriate technology to support it.

CAREFULLY CONSIDER TECHNOLOGY AND GRAPHICS

When you address the issue of tools for your Web site, here are some guidelines to follow:
  • The software must be native to your platform of choice and must be easily integrated with other solution subsystems.
  • Software should be able to handle your firm's anticipated transactions for the next few years of forecasted business, with a substantial margin for growth.
  • Any software you provide should have robust security provisions. Customers won't buy or use the site unless they feel safe.
  • Beta test the site. It's a good idea to use staff and even customers to see how well the site works.
Remember that it's best to implement a Web site in phases. Perhaps you can plan a site as large as Caesars Palace, but you should only implement the elements that you can handle and handle well.

To grow incrementally:
  • Lease until you can afford to buy technology.
  • Use e-service providers' inventory and Internet services until you can purchase your own.
  • Promise only what you can deliver and deliver everything you promise.
  • Build the site so that you can easily add more to it later.
When using graphics:
  • They should be limited in size. Some of your site visitors might not have the capability to download large, flash graphics, and many don't have the patience to wait.
  • Use standard graphics so that everyone visiting your site can download them easily.
  • Avoid using features like video and audio that need plug-ins to work. Many companies don't allow plug-ins to be downloaded onto their corporate networks.
INFORM POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

To get traffic to your site, you will need to register with several search engines. When registering, consider the following:

THE TITLE. Since most search engines display sites on the basis of words in the title bar, you want to use descriptive words there.

DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH. Some search engines ask you to provide a descriptive paragraph 25 to 45 words that describe your service. Begin by creating a list of all the words that might be used to describe your product or service. From this listing, write a paragraph that uses as many of these words as possible. Consequently, if someone uses a word from your paragraph in his or her search, the search engine will display a listing for your site.

METAFIELDS. Certain search engines visit the metafields in a site and search for words that match the keywords or description entered by their visitors. Keywords and descriptions are two types of metafields. Include both types on your key pages.

OPENING PARAGRAPH. Some search engines search the home or opening page of a Web site for keywords. If you place a descriptive opening paragraph on your home page, you simultaneously help search engines to identify you.

KEEP THEM COMING BACK

Once you get potential customers to visit, you want them to return ...­ often. Incorporating the following elements into your site can lead to positive experiences:
  • Easy navigation. The site should make immediate sense to the customer.
  • Clear, concise instructions. Customers don't want to wade through long copy to learn how to use the site. The site should give value, not talk about giving value.
  • Jargon-free language. Don't try to impress the customer with lengthy descriptions that mean nothing to them.
  • No distracting screen elements. You don't want to distract the customer from the business at hand because of flashy features that add nothing to the presentation.
  • Professional image. Be diligent in avoiding misspellings, grammatical errors, and other mistakes that make your site and your company look bad.
  • A good search feature. It's better to have no search function than one that doesn't work well.
Florence Stone is editorial director for the American Management Association and author of 14 business books.