Neil Macmillan & Associates Essential features of a successful Web site

The World Wide Web grew up as an information-sharing medium. It was originally used by academic researchers to exchange data. A culture of free information exchange was well-established on the web before it ever became a channel for marketing. Effective marketing has to buy into this culture. So give away 'free' information as part of the offerings on your site, together with promotional information about your products or services.

• Jenny Gee is a Maximizer trainer. Her site has a series of Maximizer tips. This will get potential users interested in the software and give some idea of its capabilities.
• Another example:

  Snow tire retailer's Web site Free information: Marketing information: Recent developments in snow tire materials How choice of material influences the tire's performance on snow or ice Description of tread patterns that are proven to work the best in West Coast snow Range of tires available with descriptions of materials, tread patterns and prices Customer testimonials Means of ordering

  The two categories of information work together to give the potential customer knowledge to be a well-informed snow tire shopper and, using that information, the customer can make an informed buying decision from the offerings you have available.

  Navigation

  There must be clear navigation.

  Users should always know where they are on a site. Help them by providing an easy-to-understand menu structure that is consistent throughout the site. Don't rely exclusively on image-based navigation. Provide some form of text navigation as well.

  • The Strategis menu page is a good example of a thorough menu system with graphical and text versions available:
    • Graphical version
    • Text version
  • The Adobe Site Map is also good and the key information is text only

  Site visitors must always know whose site they are on. This is brand identification and is achieved by having a consistent look from page to page across a site. Corporate logos and marks should be on each page.

  Value

  Capture the attention of site visitors with content that has some inherent value. Try to identify what your site visitors are interested in and speak to that interest with content on your site.

  Publish a regular on-line newsletter with information of interest to people who come to your site. Returning to that snow tire example earlier, site visitors might be interested in long-distance endurance-testing car rallies etc. Maybe an advanced technology plant has just opened which manufactures snow tires. Describe some of the revolutionary new technology in the factory in a newsletter.

  Beth Walrond's Photo Tips page is of potential interest to many people other than clients. The key to generating interest is that each time a visitor returns to your site, he or she will find something new that was not there last time, and, he or she will learn something from this new content.

  Even links to other sites enhance your customer service effort.

  Take advantage of the technology of the web to add value to the experience of using the site. A good example is Amazon, the on-line bookstore.

  • Book reviews by other customers
  • Interviews with authors
  • Fusion marketing: follow links to related books from Amazon after you enter a search string on the Yahoo search engine
  Give your web site a unique personality.
  • Ragu
  • K56flex

  Core content should be viewable on any off-the-shelf browser. Don't make too many demands on users in terms of installing plug-ins and so on. It's OK to offer enhanced content which will require plug-ins and specific viewers but make these optional rather than required.

  Interactivity

  Visitors should ideally involve themselves in your site in some fashion.

  Generally this is done through an on-line form which people fill in. You must, however, provide some incentive for readers to do that. Remember you are compiling the names and other details of people who interact with your site into a list of potential clients.

  Therefore, the information has value so you should be prepared to give something away in order to encourage participation. Perhaps you have a report to give out, a free product sample, a free evaluation of how your business can help solve a problem, enter a contest, become a member with access privileges to members-only areas of the web site.

  • Ragu survey form

  Users are often asked for comprehensive information during the registration process. You must provide assurance that information is given in confidence or publish a privacy policy. Martha Stewart's site has a clear privacy policy

  Users can fill in on-line questionnaires that immediately returns results.

  • TD Bank will help you decide what banking package is right for you. Note: these require some fairly intense programming to set up and get running.

  Interactivity opportunity on this site.

  Integration

  The site cannot be left to just sit there in isolation. Otherwise, no one will use it and no one will visit it. The web site has to be used in conjunction with whatever existing marketing you are already using.

  The site should have a sense of focus in keeping with the goals defined at the outset of the web site planning process.

  Give the web site address on all your paper communications: business cards, letterheads, print advertising, coffee mugs, keychains, T-shirts. Wherever your company name appears, your web site should be there.

  Everyone in your organization must know about the web site and be able to give out the URL for it.