|
|
|
|
|
 |
T h e C o m p u t e r M a s t e r s . c o m |
|||||||
|
|
You have decided that you need a web site. What next? There are some decisions you need to make, and this Web Site Primer can help you make them. It's not everything you need to know, but we cover a lot of ground in a very little space!
What do you want your Web Site to do? The process of creating your web site begins like any other project. You must begin with the end in mind. What do you want your site to accomplish, who is your target audience, and how are you going to get them to your site? There are basically 5 kinds of web sites:
1. Informational. This kind of site is designed to give the reader some kind information without expecting anything in return. It can be a product support site, educational, medical, etc. Content is given a higher priority than form. An informational site can be quite large, many hundreds of pages, or it can be a few short pages describing some product or procedure. Many informational sites are quite technical and are used to supplement the usual phone support services of a company. Some sort of database of information can be very helpful, as can response forms and questionnaires that can be sent across the web to a support person. 2. Online Brochure. This type of site is basically an advertisement whose purpose is to make the phone ring, get people to drive to your location, or generate e-mail responses. The key features of an online brochure or the same as for any advertising medium. You want to hit the bullet point hard, have great graphics, bright colors, plenty of white space, and teasers, special offers. etc. It can (and should) include many of the same features of an informational site. One way to generate good will on the Web is by giving something away, and information is a great thing to give. The site you are viewing is an online brochure. Is it working? 3. Corporate identity. This is the online equivalent of television advertising. Its not designed to do anything except to say "Hey, we are still here." It lends credibility to your business and keeps your name in front of your customers. If it makes the phone ring, great. And because sales are the ultimate goal, it should have many of the characteristics of the online brochure, but should also incorporate such things as company profile, the officers of the corporation, shareholder relations, press releases and articles, feedback/response forms, perhaps your mission statement, and lots of phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses for making contact. Though we generally think of TV ads as being for the huge corporations, a great Corporate Identity site can level the playing field when your competition is giant, or when you want to separate yourself from other players of your own size. 4. e-Commerce. Anybody can have an online storefront. The overhead is low, you can work out of your home office or a small office, or, as in the case of Amazon you can have a huge office complex and coast-to-coast warehouses, or, as with J. C. Penny, you can have an existing retail market and are looking to supplement that and lock out your competition. The characteristics of an Online Storefront are a Home Page that grabs attention, makes a sales pitch, and asks for the sale right then and there. If you offer a line of products, it will also include a catalog and a "Shopping Cart." Shopping carts are software "add-ins" where customers can put their purchases while they continue to shop. Shopping carts also have a check out mechanism and usually ask for name, address, shipping information, and credit card number. Because of that, you must make sure your storefront is housed on a "secure server," like ours. 5. Customer Service. This type of site helps customers solve problems with your product or service without you having to field phone calls. It delivers technical information, account or sales information, product tracking, manuals, service requests, etc., etc. Sometimes it hidden behind a login/password or a secure site or both. Its main function is as an arm of your regular customer service department, not an arm of the sales department.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Computer Masters "The Only Computer Service You Will Ever Need!"
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
