The Website Mission

 

Does Your Website Support Your Business?

The entire purpose of a business website is to support and promote various ongoing functions of your business through the Internet medium. These functions usually include promotion, advertising, marketing, public relations, on-line sales, standard channel sales, and customer service, support, and information. In addition, the "user experience" must be taken into careful consideration when planning the site imagery, layout, content, function, and navigation. If the website is not properly planned and designed with these elements in mind, then it will be little more than an expensive disappointment.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of business websites fall into that category of "disappointing" due to a combination of insufficient planning, poor execution, and inexperienced web "advisers" who lack business marketing and management experience or credentials.

Define Your Mission

There are three main factors to consider when designing your website's business mission. The first and most obvious is "what business are you in", as this dictates your main website content and function. If your business is a consultancy, then information, testimonials, and case examples may constitute your main content. If you sell physical products, then an online store and shopping cart are obvious functions to focus on. A non profit or membership organization will accordingly also have different functional needs and expectations for their primary audience. Or maybe you just need a cool website to... well... be cool. Fine. But define your mission.

Can I Run It?

The second main factor is your own "in house" technical ability, comfort level, and information processes. An advanced website with complex back end information management needs is obviously a poor match for a business that is primarily paper based or computer phobic. The information management process must work smoothly between the website and the business — in whatever form it takes, whether electronic, paper based, or mixed. Our website architecture will account for your information processes, and will work well for you and your business.

Does the Website Create More Work... or Customers?

Third, one must consider how the website's functions mesh with the traditional functions of the business so they support one another. There must be a synergy between the business and the website that creates value for both the business and it's customers. For example, physical advertising, such as direct mail campaigns, can guide potential customers to your website where they can join your e mail newsletter list, download helpful information, view examples of your latest projects, purchase new products, or participate in a promotion. Ideally these functions are automated, and the resulting information (data) is "useable" by your business without extra work that creates a potential resistance point or work-flow clog. Vice versa, visitors to your website may complete an online form to request product samples, printed literature, or a custom consultation or sales call.

I Didn't Know I Could Do That?

Or the converse is, just because you can do it, should you? We work with you to entertain these and other types of questions, and analyze your business procedures and processes as they relate to the I.T. possibilities of the website. We help identify and refine specific business goals, weigh various "techy" options, identify costs, examine technical feasibility and comfort levels, and develop strategies and goals that are reasonable, and obtainable.

The result is far more than just a bunch of pages on the Internet.

The result is an Internet based component of your business.

What is a "Yikes" Website?

That's a website that completely misses it's mark with it's intended market audience. The local jewelry store that looks like Rodeo Drive or Fifth Avenue is a "Yikes... too expensive!" miss with local shoppers. Skip. On to the next web search result. A lost opportunity.

Or the regional business that really shines with professional service — but their website was made by the owner's neighbor's kid... with free stuff he found on the Net. Great.
It looks like every other free site on the Internet. "Yikes!" Skip.