Resources and Advice

RESOURCES and ADVICE

Ten Things Every Web Site Ought to Have

By Jonathan Lehrer and Sara O. Marberry

Here are 10 detailed essentials every Web site should have.

1) Company history.

The dedication, expertise or altruism of your company's founders can be an effective sales pitch. Show photos of the original products and describe how the company evolved into what it is today. Include a timeline of significant milestones in your company's history relating to your industry.

2) Mission statement.

A well-crafted, two-paragraph mission statement speaks volumes about your company. Make sure the rest of your site reflects and supports this mission.

3) Executive profiles and photos.

Humanize your company by giving customers a picture of your key people. Posting executive profiles and photos brings a human touch into the high-tech world of the Internet. Keep it short - just a paragraph - on each individual's responsibilities, career background, and special skills. It's nice to include a link to the executive's e-mail address, and even a customer-contact telephone number.

4) Company directory.

Many Web sites we review are missing this critical element. Posting telephone numbers and e-mail addresses demonstrates that your company is customer-friendly. Protect the page with a password barrier to limit access only to established customers.

5) After-hours contact.

If you have an emergency plan in place for customers, post it somewhere on your Web site. Depending on your business, you may also want to post your public relations contact here.

6) News section.

A recent study by Middleburg/Ross Media reported that nearly 75 percent of magazine and newspaper editors go online daily, using the Internet as a tool for research, story development, sources and communicating with readers. That. s enough reason to have a news section on your site designed for journalists. Post recent press releases, no more than three months old. Older press releases can be archived on the site, as long as their information is still accurate.

You also should post announcements about new products, services and recent achievements. All announcements should include the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of your media contact people. Most people using the Internet these days go to Web sites to do research, get information, or buy something. Besides having information about your products and services, what else should you have on your Web site in the way of content?

7) Frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Survey your customer contacts to learn their most frequent inquiries. Include an e-mail link where site visitors can post questions that aren't shown.

8) Testimonials and case studies.

Even established customers are looking for new ways to incorporate your products into their businesses. Case studies excite the imagination of site visitors and provide a nice form of recognition to your best customers.

9) Registration form.

Begin building an affinity database by collecting an e-mail address from everyone who visits your site. Place registration opportunities throughout the site and provide clear rewards for registration. Often, just asking them to register to receive company literature or e-mail notices about new products/services is enough.

10) Resources and links.

Research, technical information, recommended reading, or links to other sites position your company as an industry resource. Up-date this information frequently and you'll get people to coming back to your site for more.

Updated: 5/13/02