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In this Issue
Web Design Detective WorkEpisode Three: When the Witnesses' Stories Don't Add UpSo we've finished interviewing the key people within the company (as we described last issue in Rounding up the Usual Suspects), and we've gathered all the information to begin writing the web site. So we sit down in front of the computer, and begin organizing the answers to our fifty-some interview questions. While typing away, we notice that the president's answers don't quite match what the director of sales told us. And what the technical support guy said to us has nothing to do with what the marketing director said. Yet, all were answering the same questions. Verdict: The witness' stories don't match. So what do we do? We grab our detective coats and march back to the company to get clarification (like Colombo returning to the scene of the crime). We figure out whose story is the right one, we go through the answers that are inconsistent with that person, and have him sign off on the content that will be published on the web. So the web detective gets to the truth at last. But how does this inconsistency happen in the first place? Working with the web detective can be an eye opening experience for the company's leadership. Through the interview process, management sometimes realizes that they have never really defined a mission for the company, or truly understood why their customers keep coming back. The president's vision of the company might not be quite clear, or his message simply has not been communicated to his colleagues. Like many companies, communication often stops at management's doorstep—stuck between four walls. People are often too busy with their everyday operations and don't take the time to ensure that everybody understands the company's purpose, or even knows where the company is going. This is where inconstancy starts, and why the witnesses don't agree. Sometimes, it is the web detective who shakes things up a little bit, and makes them realize that some things have got to change. Elegant Web DesignFront-Page Information DesignWhat Belongs on Your Site's Front Page?Ten seconds. That's about all the time you have for your site's front page to make an impression. When visitors reach your web site, they will do one of two things: either they will click a link to go deeper into your site, or they will click the Back button, and leave. Typically, they will make that decision in about ten seconds, sometimes faster. So deciding what to put on your front page is vital. As with any exercise in structuring information, this decision should be—first and foremost—about the needs of the audience. When your web site satisfies the needs of your visitors, you get new customers. So, understanding your visitors can be of tremendous help in designing a front page, but determining exactly who they are is difficult. Nonetheless, if you are in business to make a profit, it is a safe bet that people are visiting your site to check out what you sell. So for companies that make physical goods, product information is a good start. For companies in service industries, it gets a bit trickier. Goods can be judged on their physical or operational qualities ("Produces two dozen grapple-grommets per minute!"), while services can be judged only after experiencing them. But a services company still needs to be able to communicate its value to the site visitor in a tangible way. And proclaiming "We deliver on time!" just doesn't cut it. One way to capture the attention of the visitor is to talk about return on investment. If you can say up front that your services will reduce costs or increase productivity by a measurable amount, then this is powerful information ("Save 30% on production costs!"). Real-world numbers can make your case for you. The trick is to deliver information that describes the unique qualities of your goods and services. Too many companies assert a "commitment to quality" or use other generic feel-good phrases. Try to avoid them. Describe your uniqueness, the solid business value that only you can bring to the table. That will help keep your site visitors hanging around longer than ten seconds. Contact and Subscription InformationDigital Wind's newsletter is a periodic mailing about the business of branding in the digital age sent to subscribers only. If you find this information valuable, please pass it on to a friend. SubscriptionsTo subscribe to the Digital Wind newsletter, visit http://digitalwind.com/subscribe/ If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe in one of three ways:
Past IssuesArchives of the Digital Wind newsletter can be found at http://digitalwind.com/subscribe/ FeedbackHave a complaint? Want to tell us we're doing a great job? Contact Jim Royal at Digital Wind with your comments and suggestions. We'd love to hear from you. About Digital WindMontreal-based Digital Wind can manage your company's entire public image, from logo design to web design to corporate email newsletters. |
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