Objectives of a Website

CSF Critical Success Factors

• increased profits
  
• contribution to market share,
  
• sales orders received,
  
• new customers,
  
• number and quality of inquiries,
  
• useful contacts,
  
• better customer service,
  
• reduced costs
  

Promoting a Cause
The world is run because of the enthusiasms of individuals. Every website is to some extent an ego trip. It is going to be something you are proud of; that you can show to your friends; so that your friends will say: Wow!

The modern equivilent of the Ego Wall in your study.

It can be the only objective. Much loved by students of the modern arts. Look how clever I am! Please look at my site! Tell me I am good! The Movie Producer syndrome. But there is some real talent in this area, sometimes spoilt by slow access and over-elaboration.

But for business I hope the customer comes first, and the eye-candy takes second place to the customers needs.

This category includes all the Non-Profits. The category for all who have information on their site for others to reference, read, bookmark, learn and enjoy, and the lists of links that make the Internet possible to navigate. For Community and religious sites

Company Brochure
At a minimum your name, address and telephone number, right up near the top of the homepage, "above the fold", but also a space to tell the on-line world what you sell and how good you are at doing it.

Customer Support
There are lot of good Customer Support help lines. The problems of the telephone help desks are severe: it is always overloaded; only open during working hours; the customer waits in a queue listening to sweet music at 5 pence a minute. How much better for everyone to if he can send off a quick Email and then get on with some work knowing that a response will come back quite soon. But better still, if the customer can look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on line and get the answer himself, immediately, untouched by human hand, and accurate to boot.

Have the technical product details on line and you will not need to fax it to clients, page by illegible page. Take some of the load off the support staff. This can show some real benefits.

Advertising

• Advertise yourself on your own site
  
• Advertise yourself on other sites
  
• carry adverts for others on your site
  
• Encourage interactivity
  
• Create sales leads and possibly final sales
  

B2C - Business to Consumer.
This sort of site is going to cost a lot of money and is part of the development and launch cost of your product
The data available to the customers by Internet is a key part of the way to do business. If they have Internet, then you can serve them better. If they want to telephone, fine, but they may have to wait for attention.

Promotion is essential, at least on letters, brochures, newspaper adverts, perhaps local radio. Make sure that you are on all the trade lists, and included in at least the largest Search Engines and Directories. Showing that you are in business and this is what you sell. Emphasise your USP (Unique Selling Proposition). E/Mails will be answered. Or telephone you. Or Write. Or please just call in and buy something!

For larger companies it is worth spending some money for a glossy site. Company Information is a PR thing, difficult to justify, expensive to provide as glossy brochures, out of date as soon as printed. A website has got to be better than printed information.

This is now a major B2C activity, keeping catalogues up to date, and using live data from the stock control system. Access to a Secure Server for credit card handling.

Major Selling Sites
Advertising in newspapers and/or TV is probably essential.
E/Commerce for selling products. The ultimate to which we would all like to move. Put up the website with an attractive catalogue of the products on sale, a shopping trolley, a form for taking the orders, obtain immediate payment by credit card. Make very customer visit an enjoyable experience.

B2B Business to Business
Selling and Buying Wholesale and with Suppliers. A rather different slant buying and selling to professionals eager to negotiate the lowest bid but with guarantees of delivery and product performance.

Supply Chain Management
Working closely with affiliates to sell related products, with suppliers to provide products on demand, and with delivery and after-sales support organisations to fulfill the promises.

Success will generate hits.

If you get only a few hits you may feel you have wasted your money and time. If you get a million hits, access to the site will be overloaded, your ISP is going to surcharge you, and you may not be able to cope with the business that flows through you Email-box.

You must estimate how many hits you are going to get. From our experience we have noted some ball-park figures:

You have to decide

You should present as little on your website as that objective will allow. If you add a rack of other things you will confuse the message. Once the site is up-loaded and available for others to see, then you will be able to tell what you are achieving, and what you should add (or delete) to increase your success.

You may decide that you have more than one objective. This will tend to confuse your message. If possible the second objective should be handled on a separate website, or at least clearly separated from the main thrust.

If you have an objective, say so

The objective statement is not a mission statement. State what you are selling and in what geographical areas and how the goods will be delivered. Say this first - and then back it up with the detail.

Promoting the Website

On-going Maintenance