Does every business need a website? Every business and organization definitely does not need a website. Many websites amount to little more than online brochures that lack enough information to be helpful to the viewer, or in the opposite extreme provide too much useless and irrelevant information to retain the visitor’s interest. Examining the desire for publishing a website by justifying the reasons and benefits becomes a valuable exercise for any organization. If the website is not an effective enhancement to image and service, it may be advisable not to act on the urge. It isn’t the responsibility of a website developer to prove the merit of a website for your enterprise. But a responsible professional will help you ask the right questions that will lead to a good decision and final outcome. The questions that follow are intended to assist the reader with this process. But first, lets cover some seemingly obvious basics. Websites can be classified in two primary categories, which are information websites and commerce websites. Information websites Information websites should essentially be well-organized online brochures with just the right amount of content about the organization so the visitor can glean the desired information quickly and easily, as well as access phone number, email address and physical address data. An information website doesn’t typically attempt to offer online product purchasing options, but rather is used to generate interest in the organization that will lead to the desire to make direct contact immediately or in the future. These websites are the easiest to build and least costly to design in most cases. The exception might be the inclusion of a registration database function, which can increase the cost and scope of this category of website. Professional organizations and service businesses are the most common publishers of information websites. Commerce websites Commerce websites are generally designed to entice online product sales. They manage the entire transaction ranging from viewing and selecting a product item to paying for the selection and arranging for its delivery. This type of website is usually far more complex than an information website because it may have many modules that facilitate several separate transaction processes. Commerce websites commonly include database functions that capture and store product and customer information. They generally manage credit card verification and processing functions. Product availability, shipping manifests and logistics are also important parts of commerce websites, as well as inventory management and reorder notification functions. While this category of website is more expensive to create and manage, it also can be a very cost effective income generator. Once the determination of which website category is preferable has been made, you can be more focused on the nature of decisions that are necessary to develop a successful one. Is it better to have a mediocre website than no website at all? In today’s business environment, your website can serve as the virtual front door and lobby to your business. The site visitor will form impressions and opinions about the quality and nature of your enterprise on the basis of its appeal and usefulness. Therefore, underwhelming examples have the potential to cast a negative image on your enterprise. It is possible for a website visitor to lose interest in your offering for this reason. And the unimpressed visitor will rarely tell you that is the reason they dismissed you as a potential business resource. It is useful to have a hit counter, ideally not visible to the visitor, for the purpose of seeing how often your website is browsed. If the website registers lots of hits but generates very little contact, that is an indication that should not be disregarded and it may be advisable to deactivate the site if it is not delivering its intended results. What is the best approach for determining how a website can benefit a business? You may be familiar with the psychology behind having a booth at a trade show, not because a company has anything new or exciting to represent, but rather because they are afraid that if they don’t have a presence at the show it might imply they are no longer in business. It seems there are lots of websites that are motivated by the same “presence by default” psychology. On the contrary, a website should be regarded as a working asset for the enterprise it represents, rather than just an obligatory space holder. If you agree that your website is indeed a valuable business asset, then this attitude will naturally take you in the direction of creating content and functionality that serves the visitor and connects them to your business. It cannot be overstated how important it is for your website to return the investment it represents in multiples of its development and ongoing maintenance cost. Your website is as significant as physical property, and it is only common sense to give it the same respect as your physical operating facility. Equally important, set aside the concern that websites require technical expertise to be created. Do not let that fact be intimidating. Just as most CEOs do not possess the construction skills to build the building they occupy, they nevertheless know if the building effectively serves the functions of the business. Website design and construction can also be best accomplished with that perspective. What is the best strategy for a manager with minimal technical knowledge to select the most appropriate website developer? Begin by drafting a flowchart or map of what services and functions the website needs to contain. Then ask website developers to present examples of existing websites that demonstrate those criteria. They may show their own work, or other sources that more closely represent your requirements. Either option is acceptable because in both cases the vendor is showing an understanding of your needs. Skilled website developers usually enjoy showing off their work and this is their opportunity to do so. Trust your own instincts with this process. You wouldn’t buy a new car that has absolutely no appeal. Don’t approach selecting website developers any differently. How does a business determine appropriate cost for developing an effective website? This question is best answered by first clarifying the scope of need. The cost of building a website is not an indicator of its quality and utility. Investment in an informational website should be governed by determining the value visitors may represent for future contact. Is there a registration database requirement? Does it represent substantial future income potential by converting the visitor to a client? If so, substantial expense may be justifiable. If such potential does not exist, it may not be worthwhile to make a registration database part of the site development cost. If the site is a commercial medium, can sales volume from website transactions be forecast with any accuracy? It may be difficult to accurately quantify this question, but it represents the type of thinking necessary to decide how much to invest. Do you prefer your customers to visit your store rather than complete a transaction online? In that case the website should be designed primarily to drive traffic to your physical location. If online sales is your best option for sales and profit growth at this point in the life of your business then a website becomes a much more important and substantial investment. Is a website ever finished? By now you should know the answer to this question. If the website meets the purposes discussed above, it is a continuous work in progress. The business world is not a static environment and your website shouldn’t be either. Common sense can again serve as a useful guide for recognizing the level of maintenance and updating the website requires in order to serve as an effective business tool. Kent Comfort is President of CRG Technical Services, Inc., a Kansas City-based information technology consultancy that provides small to medium-sized businesses with network support, website design and construction, and browser-based applications development design and implementation. He can be reached at kcomfort@crgtechserv.com or by phone at 913-486-0979.   <<Click here>> to download a printable copy of this article.