After more than a decade, the corporate Web site is firmly established in every marketing initiative. But many companies still don't know how to get the most out of their online investments. Here are 7 keys to making sure your Web site works for your visitors—and for you:
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Measure the right ROI.
Not every Web site is a commerce site, yet increasingly marketing teams are being asked to prove a sales ROI. Sites often produce other benefits, such as better-qualified leads; savings on paper, printing and postage; reduced customer service costs; increased customer satisfaction; and a better brand experience. Companies should decide exactly what they need their site to accomplish—and then make sure it is designed to deliver on those objectives. |
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Organize information by visitor needs, not internal considerations. A Web site should make it easy for visitors to get what they are looking for, even if their expectations cut across organizational boundaries or run counter to the way companies think about themselves. |
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Talk to your visitors before your design team.
Many sites reflect the way companies think about their visitors, not the actual visitors themselves. It’s important to actually talk with current or potential visitors. This may take slightly more time, effort and expense up front, but a site’s success depends on it. Talking with even a few people in each segment can provide invaluable insights that pay big dividends. |
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Know how much is enough.
Many companies insist on an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to online content. After all, Web space is virtually free, and there’s so much to say! However streamlining content is not necessarily about omitting information, but presenting the right information at the right time, putting content quality ahead of quantity. |
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Re-think your content.
People interact with computers very differently than with print, yet many companies insist on simply copying their written content to their Web sites wholesale. Instead, written content should be converted to a Web-appropriate format. For example, a written mission statement might be much more effective as a short video from the CEO. Rethinking the presentation of content will result in happier—and more loyal—visitors. |
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Use the right technology—and only the right technology. Web 2.0. Social networking. RSS. AJAX. Blogs. Webcasts. Podcasts.
It’s easy to think the latest bells and whistles make a Web site more appealing. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest. Visitors are happiest when they get what they came for, regardless of the technology operating behind the scenes. |
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Consider the larger communication context.
A Web site, just like any other communication, fits a particular need at a particular point in time, and should work as part of an entire communications system that includes online, offline, and the front line. A comprehensive communication plan puts the right messages in the right medium at the right time. |
To help our clients meet their Web visitors’ needs, Sullivan takes an anthropological approach to understanding consumer and business-to-business decision-making, exploring the social, emotional and behavioral factors that influence decision-making in the real world as well as online.
Barbara Sullivan
Managing Partner |
Michael McWatters
Creative Director,
Interactive
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