22/12: Do You Need A Web Site?
Category: Web Hosting
Posted by: jrcohen
Like many engineers, I love technology. I truly enjoy learning new skills and profiting from them. I also want to have the latest gadgets – like a web site. When I started my first automated machinery company in 1994, one of the first things we did was create a web site. This was when very few people had Internet access and we got no customers from it.
In many ways, a web site is like the old shingle hanging out in front of a country lawyer’s office. People only knock on your door if they need your service and they know to look for the shingle.
The first question you need to ask is "Do I need a web site?" To answer this question, define who will use the (potential) web site, will they be able to access it, and what will they use it for.
Defining your audience is your most important task. Not only will your target audience determine how you lay out your site and what information you include, it will determine if you need a site at all. If, for example, all of your customers are walk-ins, a web site may be of no value.
The better you define your audience, the better you can target them. For example, I have one web hosting customer that is a civil war re-enactment group (www.12thTexasCav.org). Their primary audience is members of their club. But they also use the web site to recruit new members. Today, the site is oriented only toward existing members. We will soon change the site to show off the fun they have at events, thus encouraging new people to join.
Another client, www.rufesnowdepot.com, is a self storage company. Most of their customers are people who live within 2 miles of the facility, or people who are moving to within a few miles of the facility. For them, it is important to emphasize the facility’s location.
Unusable web sites are my pet peeve. You must make it obvious to the casual user how to find the information he or she is looking for. My test is simple. You get 5 seconds. If I don’t know where to go, it is not a usable web site.
You also need to consider how your users will connect to your site. Neilson estimates that in February 2004, 75% of Americans had Internet access at home. But not all of them have high-speed access required to download complicated graphics or flash elements. If your target audience is likely to have high-speed access, then by all means, use the bling, but if your audience is rural, consider skipping it.
Most of my web hosting customers are small businesses. They do not try to sell over the Internet a la e-commerce. Rather, they use their web sites to generate warm leads. These customers’ target audiences require the business telephone number, business address (with map), and a simple contact page.
On the other hand, The Cirro Energy Store uses its web site as a launching pad to sign up electricity customers. They have to have links to the parent company (important for signup) and lots of information to convince people to switch their electric company.
Clubs have a still different need for their web sites. Members of the 12thTexasCav use the web site to communicate. They required a more complex database to keep track of members, a mailing list to remind members about events, and a message board for chatting.
Before you start designing your web site, you need to determine if you need a web site. To do so, you need to answer the questions: who will use the web site, will they be able to access it, and what will they use it for.
Need more information? Email me or visit my web site.
In many ways, a web site is like the old shingle hanging out in front of a country lawyer’s office. People only knock on your door if they need your service and they know to look for the shingle.
The first question you need to ask is "Do I need a web site?" To answer this question, define who will use the (potential) web site, will they be able to access it, and what will they use it for.
Who will use your web site
Defining your audience is your most important task. Not only will your target audience determine how you lay out your site and what information you include, it will determine if you need a site at all. If, for example, all of your customers are walk-ins, a web site may be of no value.
The better you define your audience, the better you can target them. For example, I have one web hosting customer that is a civil war re-enactment group (www.12thTexasCav.org). Their primary audience is members of their club. But they also use the web site to recruit new members. Today, the site is oriented only toward existing members. We will soon change the site to show off the fun they have at events, thus encouraging new people to join.
Another client, www.rufesnowdepot.com, is a self storage company. Most of their customers are people who live within 2 miles of the facility, or people who are moving to within a few miles of the facility. For them, it is important to emphasize the facility’s location.
Will they be able to access your web site
Unusable web sites are my pet peeve. You must make it obvious to the casual user how to find the information he or she is looking for. My test is simple. You get 5 seconds. If I don’t know where to go, it is not a usable web site.
You also need to consider how your users will connect to your site. Neilson estimates that in February 2004, 75% of Americans had Internet access at home. But not all of them have high-speed access required to download complicated graphics or flash elements. If your target audience is likely to have high-speed access, then by all means, use the bling, but if your audience is rural, consider skipping it.
What will they use your web site for
Most of my web hosting customers are small businesses. They do not try to sell over the Internet a la e-commerce. Rather, they use their web sites to generate warm leads. These customers’ target audiences require the business telephone number, business address (with map), and a simple contact page.
On the other hand, The Cirro Energy Store uses its web site as a launching pad to sign up electricity customers. They have to have links to the parent company (important for signup) and lots of information to convince people to switch their electric company.
Clubs have a still different need for their web sites. Members of the 12thTexasCav use the web site to communicate. They required a more complex database to keep track of members, a mailing list to remind members about events, and a message board for chatting.
So what does this mean to me
Before you start designing your web site, you need to determine if you need a web site. To do so, you need to answer the questions: who will use the web site, will they be able to access it, and what will they use it for.
Need more information? Email me or visit my web site.
