Of Web sites and purpose. . .

For most technology companies, a Web site is deemed an essential item in the marketing strategy. Unfortunately, many of those Web sites are created with neither a full nor ongoing analysis of purpose, potential, and relative position within the overall marketing strategy.

While it has become more commonplace to understand the audience and purpose of print collateral before creating an all-purpose, unfocused brochure, such analysis is often overlooked when it comes to the Web site. The result? Return on investment is less than it could be. To help you evaluate or perhaps re-evaluate your site, we'll look at some of the more elementary purposes to be considered in an analysis. Larger and more advanced sites generally serve multiple purposes and have distinct entry points and features supporting each purpose. In this and future tips, we'll discuss some of the more basic purposes:

• Brochure site
• On-line purchasing
• Supplemental information
• Lead generation
• Increased sales

Brochure site
Many sites are simply an electronic form of a printed brochure (product, service, or corporate). The oldest commercial sites used this format, and also failed to capitalize on other potential of the media. At the lower end of the scale, many brochure sites are still being created today. Because a standard approach to development can be used, Web developers often make them available at 'flat rate' prices. Many of these sites rely on linear information design principles, rather than a design that promotes rapid absorption and filtering of information by the site visitor. Brochure sites can work well under the right circumstances (e.g., the audience is generally remote, customer needs and decision-making are time-critical, other parts of the marketing strategy are used to create traffic).

Online purchasing
Gaited largely by outstanding concerns with purchase transaction security, online transactions haven't broken any records with respect to more traditional modes of purchase. As technology advances and comfort increases, the cost-efficiency of both online distribution (software) and purchase transactions via the Internet or extranets will drive this type of implementation to the forefront. The lower the price-point of the goods or services, the more this model will become a necessity. Complete automation of the purchase process alone is already driving substantial discounts for goods being sold via the Internet today. For the foreseeable future, most companies will have to provide some alternative to complete online order-processing. But there's no reason that the Web site can't provide substantial support throughout the purchase and delivery process, even when other methods (phone, fax, postal service) are used for the purchase transaction.

Other basic purposes we identified will be discussed in next month's tip. If you have another basic Web site purpose you'd like to see discussed in future tips, please submit your suggestion now.

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