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Adapted from Making the Most of the Web by Rusty Warner
The first consideration in creating an effective Web site is deciding to engage a firm that specializes in this area. Web development requires specialized expertise - just as video production does, for example. While it's possible to buy software that allows you to create your own site, that's not necessarily the best use of your time and resources. The second key point to remember is that you don't have to reinvent everything. You can and should leverage what you've used in your traditional media, because those elements, which we call "assets," have already served you well in presenting your image and message. We encourage our clients to "design once, produce many." In other words, the goal is to make your assets - such as your logo, photography, and identity standards - work across a variety of media. We also firmly believe that using a new medium doesn't mean you have to come up with a new message. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." With those considerations in mind, there is an identifiable, step-by-step process for creating and executing a site. Phase 1: Definition This is the pre-planning stage, and as such, it is the most important part of the process in terms of ensuring the success of your site. Define your direction, target audience, key messages, and marketing objectives. Determine your desired results, so you can measure your efforts against those targets. Use these to help define what your site is going to do and why. It is absolutely critical, at this stage, to get everyone's input up front and to arrive at a consensus on these matters before proceeding any further. Traditionally, this means involving the sales and marketing departments. But since you're dealing with computer-based technologies, it is imperative that you also include your technical staff to make decisions about hosting and updates. The more time and effort you put into this phase up front, the greater your probability of success. Conversely, if you leave out any of these steps, or treat them lightly, you may find yourself going back to square one in mid-project. Phase 2: Concept Working with your Web development firm, you need to determine what will be said and shown, and how it will look on a computer display. You also need to determine what kind of interaction there will be on the part of the user. An essential component of interactivity is the logic behind it: successful communication is tied to (user-friendly) intuitive navigation. Once these considerations are nailed down, designs can be created that show the overall look and feel of the site. Phase 3: Development At this point, the site is actually in production. This includes developing all of the elements -- photography, audio, video, etc. -- creating designs, refining navigation, writing copy, and combining all of these elements into a finished product. It is essential as well to dedicate appropriate time and resources to thoroughly test the product before it is released on the Web. Phase 4: Delivery Once the site has been fully tested, its ready to be posted to the Web and advertised to your target audience. This is the moment when all of your preliminary work pays off. You should have an elegant site that runs smoothly, piques your customers' interest and keeps them coming back for more. Phase 5: Measurement As with any marketing effort, it is critical to be able to measure and track results to see if your site is achieving the desired objectives. Numerous techniques exist to provide customers and users with an opportunity to respond or provide feedback, and those mechanisms should be designed into your site. The company that hosts your site should also be able to provide detailed statistics on all of the visitors to your site. It is important to view new media as an evolving communications medium, one that will benefit from continuous improvement. If something works, keep it. If something doesn't work, determine why and, if possible, improve or eliminate it. The Final Word Traditional media will always have their place. However, today's competitive environment and the expectations among customers and prospects are such that you need to seriously consider putting the Web into your overall media mix. Properly designed and executed, a Web site offers you unprecedented opportunities to reach a newer and wider audience and to reach them in a memorable and effective fashion. |
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