SO YOU THINK YOU WANT A WEB SITE

By CARL A. BYSTROM JR.
Three Toad Multimedia

So you want to put you're business on the web. You've heard that everyone is doing it. In fact, you've noticed that every other television commercials show an address like "www.bigcompany.com" directing you to their website. You've heard that you can advertise your business on the web for pennies a day and reach the entire world--imagine the savings in paper alone!

But you've also heard that many companies that have invested in the World Wide Web aren't getting the results they expected. Is it worth it? It certainly can be -- if you take the right approach.

Most businesses approach the World Wide Web as a source of inexpensive advertising. This is a compelling reason to create a website for your company. One page on the World Wide Web has the potential to reach millions of interested prospects in every country around the world. It is true, however, that this remains only potential; unlike direct mail, radio or television, your ad isn't delivered to them -- people must come to you on the World Wide Web.

One in a million

There are literally millions of World Wide Web pages on the Internet today and some statistics suggests that a new site is born every three seconds. The next one could be yours, but how can you be sure anyone will notice?

Let's assume that you work for a moderately successful company that produces "Flamadiddles." Now, everyone knows what a Flamadiddle is and some people even make their own, but your company has had some success in producing and selling them to those people who need quality Flamadiddles at a reasonable price. Of course, as your company enjoys its success, marketing and advertising costs begin to balloon as you try and reach a larger market, so you think "Hey, let's try this World Wide Web thing." You get your graphics expert to convert your brochure to digital form and hire a consultant to make it into a "web page," you pay your 30 to 100 dollars a month for "server space," and you wait. And wait. Nothing happens.

So what went wrong? Well, with millions of sites out there and thousands more appearing each day, you have to ask yourself why anyone would WANT to visit yours? To optimize your chances of a good return, you must make your site stand out. The key word on the Web is "hits." A hit is simply a visit, each time someone cruising the Internet stops at your page (looks at your logo, perhaps reads your copy, etc.) your website has received a hit.

How many "hits" did your page get today? This week? This month? Any good Internet service provider will keep a log of all the hits that your site receives. A successful page on the net will get hundreds of hits a day. The most popular receive several thousand. But getting this kind of traffic is not easy. Even if you have the best graphics and most lucid text , your site will not garner interest unless you have something to give.

Ask not what the web can do for you, ask what you can do for the web

On the Web, content is everything. Unlike other forms of mass media, anyone with a computer and a modem can publish on the net, so there's a lot of "amateurish" pages out there. Nothing is more dissatisfying for a web surfer than finding a cool looking site and discovering that it is nothing more than a well designed advertisement.

Even if basic advertising is all you want out of your website, it must have more than just a few catchy slogans and slick graphics to impress visitors. Remember, with TV and print advertising, the vehicle that compels people to see your ad and respond to it is the program or publication it is advertised through. With a web site, you have to create the vehicle of interest as well as the ad for it to be successful.

One of the best ways to create traffic on your site is to provide some kind of free service. Perhaps it is an in-depth manual on Flamadiddle repair, or up-to-date statistics on Flamadiddle usage throughout the world. Or better yet, a discussion board where people can post questions, answers and stories about Flamadiddles and the funky things that they do with them. One of the great things about the net, which makes it infinitely more interesting than television, is that it offers the opportunity to participate. If you can create a space where you are giving something away and visitors are able to offer their input (and preferably leave it there for all to see), you are on your way to a successful site.

Keep it fresh

Once you have somebody's attention, you must then create a reason for them to return. One of the great truths in advertising is that even if you don't sell it the first time, you probably will the twenty-first time. Each instance that your site comes on screen with your logo and your special offer, you're moving one step closer to a sale. And if you can get thousands of steps a day, sales are sure to follow.

Part of the challenge of achieving a high rate of return traffic is keeping the site fresh. Updating a "news" page and adding "hot links" pointing to interesting and relevant sites on the net is a good idea, but you will want to provide even more to compel people to come back--and to hang out a while. The longer potential customers linger at your site, the longer they're exposed to your message. Contests, games and puzzles that offer prizes are some good ways to keep people coming back. Posting a new tip, joke, quote, article or picture with a "Tip of the day" or "Poll of the Week" page can also win quick popularity. A good web specialist can even set you up with a program that will display a new item every time a person visits your site.

To keep visitors coming back, The ThreeToad website offers a very popular web page tester, which displays a newly-designed web page through a variety of browsers so page designers can ensure their pages look good for all their potential customers.

Another approach is the e-mail newsletter. You can create a form on your website so that visitors can sign-up to receive news and updates about your products and business. This enables you to distribute direct e-mail advertising and draw people back to your site with news of new features or "web-only" specials. You can also create a "list server" and host an e-mail discussion group about your product, services or industry. A good Internet service provider will offer a suite of e-mailing services for you to choose from; consider them carefully and incorporate them into your web presence when appropriate.

Who dunnit

So after doing some research and brainstorming, your company has decided to create a website that has a Flamadiddle tip of the week, a Flamadiddle discussion board, a monthly e-mail newsletter, as well as a price list and ordering information. Now you have to decide whether to put it together in-house or contract out to a website design firm.

If you decide to keep the website design in-house, be prepared to allocate at least 30 staff hours a week to get it up and running and at least 20 staff hours a week to keep it fresh and up-to-date. You will want to create a "web team," including a graphic designer, a writer, an HTML author and a manager to oversee the development of the project. These people can be borrowed from other parts of your firm, but be prepared to sacrifice them to the website as it begins to roll. This may seem like a lot of time any energy to invest, but if you want real return you must risk real investment.

Some firms choose to move slowly, first producing an on-line brochure and then adding a bit more here and there as time goes on. However, this can lead to dissatisfaction and the ultimate abandonment of what might have become a lucrative investment. If the early stages of the project yield little return, managers can become discouraged and the sites can become stagnant. If you choose the gradual approach, be sure to make a solid commitment to the project. Don't judge the success or failure of the endeavor until you have the key pieces in place and have established yourself as a real presence on the Internet.

Many firms contract with professional website designers to produce their Internet presence. This can cost anywhere from $200 to $200,000, depending upon the extent and purposes of the of the site. This may be the safest route, as you can be reasonably certain that your site will be completed quickly and rendered in a professional manner.

But, as with all new technology that creates a substantial "knowledge deficit" between experts and the general public, be wary of letting a web site developer take too much control of a project by taking advantage of your company's inexperience with the Internet. One company may tell you your site will take a month to develop and charge a $1,000 set-up fee, while another may be able to do the same work in a week for $200. Shop around, get a feel for the market and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. A new service market such as web design provides plenty of competition to choose from, but it may take some extra research to find the best firm for the job.

Alternatively, businesses can opt to create the layout, graphics, and look of the sight with their in-house designer or graphics department and then contract out with a web designer to complete the HTML, scripting and other web-oriented tasks. Some web designers also offer low rates for routine maintenance and updates. This option allows you to keep creative control and manage your in-house costs without devoting too many of your personnel resources to the task.

Whatever you decide, be sure to approach the creation of your website with a relatively organized plan. You will want to give your designer a clear idea of what you would like from your site, and what you would like your site to provide. It is a good idea to spend some time surfing the net yourself, to see what others are doing with their sites.

Layout: Keep it simple

When organizing or evaluating a website design, one of the most crucial issues is ease of use. You'll want your web pages to appear clean and be easy to navigate. The use of concise graphics to aid navigation is encouraged (but take care not to confuse your site with unnecessary images). And remember, content is everything. Don't bury the riches of your site under six feet of glossy introduction and sales material. A visitor to your page should be able to find what they want with one click of the mouse.

Generally, your opening page should be brief and direct. It should tell the user who you are, what you do, and what they will find at your web site, providing direct links to the exciting or content-rich areas. Your opening page should also establish the look and feel of the sight. All the sub-ordinate pages preserve and enhance the ambiance of that first page.

As knowledge of your web presence spreads, other websites will provide links to your pages, often bypassing your opening page and jumping directly to a more specific area. Be sure that when people follow these links they know they have arrived on your site by keeping your logo on each page and maintaining a clear and cohesive image.

A picture is worth a thousand words

On the Internet, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. Nothing impacts website design more than bandwidth. "Bandwidth" essentially describes the speed at which you can send and receive data through your Internet connection. Most people on the World Wide Web are connected via 28.8 modems. Every second counts, and the smaller your page the faster it will appear on your user's screen. And because of this, it is often better to keep your pictures to a minimum, so visitors aren't impatiently waiting for graphics to download. Most web gurus will advise you to keep the download time of each page under ten seconds, otherwise surfers will become bored and move on. Text is bandwidth cheap, photos and graphics are pricey. You can literally get 1,000 words into the same amount of bandwidth space as a small color logo.

The latest fashion

The Internet is growing and changing at an unprecedented pace. Part of this growth results from a tremendous explosion of new technologies and products that enhance the Internet itself. When you design your site, resist the temptation to incorporate the latest multimedia "plug-in" or "Java applet" -- the one your web page designer says will actually make your page sing and dance on screen. The particular software that your visitors are using may not support these files, and commonly the "plug-in" itself will be unstable and may crash the user's machine. (One way to insure that you will not get a return visit is to cause someone's computer screen to freeze.) And, like large graphic images, these multimedia enhancements tend to increase download time and can try the patience of even the most seasoned surfer. In general, it is best to avoid media beyond text and graphics unless they are integral to your product or service.

All browsers are not created equal

The browser is the software that you use to access and view the World Wide Web. Approximately sixty percent of the traffic on the web use some form of Netscape Navigator, leaving forty percent of your potential customers who don't. Since there is a wide range of support for HTML code and media types, be sure that your design does not rely too heavily on those elements that are supported by only one or two brands of browser. Your site may look terrific when viewed through browser "A", yet the same site may not look as good, even terrible, as seen through browser "B." Thus, insure that your website designer or design team tests your site (or has it tested) using several browsers.

So you still want a web site?

Much of this may seem daunting, but keep in mind that everything discussed here can be implemented in as grand or modest a manner as you desire, or can afford. The basic principles are the same whether you produce your own web presence or have someone build it for you: keep your site simple and easy to navigate, provide useful and interesting content, maintain a cohesive image, keep the size down, and create a reason for visitors to return to your site. And have fun, you are about to join the vanguard of what is likely to be one of the most important and influential technological revolutions of this, and the next, centuries.

Carl Bystrom is president of ThreeToad Multimedia, a Seattle website and multimedia design firm.