Previous page: How to build a better Web site
Continued: Online is where it's at. But what does it take to deliver top-notch customer service in cyberspace? Here are 10 tips from those who run and evaluate top corporate Web sites.
6 Show up the Joneses
Too many Web managers base success on internal measurements, such as how many hits they get on their sites. Instead, measure your site against those in your peer group and top sites from companies in other sectors. "Your customers' responses to your Web site are based on where they've been," Golesworthy says.
7 Build trust
Most consumers no longer fear doing business online, but they still need to be convinced about security. "That's a biggie, particularly in the consumer sites," Golesworthy says. "People have read about identify theft, privacy issues and spam."
The best sites clearly explain their security, privacy and marketing policies right upfront.
8 Assign ownership, but work as a team
"You have to think of the Web site as being the primary way people find out about your company. And if that's how you think about it, why should it be handled by the tech people?" Golesworthy says.
Two years ago, Esteban Borrero, vice-president of solutions delivery at McKesson Corp., a health care services and IT company in San Francisco, passed responsibility for the Web site over to corporate communications. "For me, it was clear that communications does a much better job at that," he says, noting they're the experts in reaching the doctors, pharmacists, vendors and consumers who use the site. But Borrero maintains a collaborative relationship between IT and corporate communications.
9 Set priorities
One of the biggest challenges facing Web site administrators today is the volume of requests they receive for changes to their sites. "You can get requests from anybody and everybody," Galasso says.
So don't blindly gear up for every change request. Instead, ask: What is the purpose of this? Is this what consumers want? How does it rank with my other requests? Better still, develop a process. At My1Stop LLC, a Fort Scott, Kan., printing company, stakeholders from sales, marketing, IT and other departments meet weekly to prioritize Web projects, says Gina Sullivan, director of software development.
10 Watch for the next big thing
A great Web site is never static. But identifying the next big thing - and determining whether it's the right tool for your users - requires an investment. Coldwell Banker is developing a plan to pair several staffers with the company's development partners to generate ideas for future implementation. Time-to-market for online tools now ranges from three to 18 months, Young says, and he hopes to cut that by 25 per cent to 50 per cent.
"There are always ways to improve the Web site," Galasso says. "People are finding new and better ways to use it. So we have to make sure we're always where the consumer is - or ahead of them."
Five common design flaws
Those who build and review top-of-the-line Web sites note five common design flaws. Here are the five big "don'ts" of Web site design:
Don't ignore search: About half of users rely on the search function to get around a site and to locate the information they want. If your online search function isn't sophisticated, you'll frustrate those users and lose them.
Don't bury information: People don't want to navigate, even if navigation is easy; they want to find the information they seek.
Don't provide too much: Irrelevant information and marketing materials turn customers off. Give them what they want and clear out the rest. Keep the site up to date.
Don't forget low-bandwidth customers: Your site shouldn't be too hard for use by the 25 per cent of computer users who still have dial-up Internet access.
Don't use just text: Incorporate video and other graphic elements to deliver your message.
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