Top 10 Website Must-Haves

Transcription

1 Top 10 Website Must-Haves

2 Top 10 Each of the top 10 contains a why, a who, and a what; Why? Business Impact Primary Beneficiaries What? Brief Explanation 1. Clear Key Value Proposition 2. Intuitive Architecture - Flow/Anchor/Layer 3. Secure Extranet 4. Transactional Elements 5. A Visual Sale 6. Meshed Content/Contact Strategy 7. Search Engine Friendly 8. CRM and/or Integration 9. Content Management System 10. Analytics

3 10 Analytics Why? Analytics are needed to measure the effectiveness of efforts (both the website and campaigns) and ultimately ROI. Internal stake-holders Your agency What? Analytics give a company the ability to track user activity in relation to the website and/or specific campaigns. Given the variety of statistics/tracking packages (various levels of cost, drill-down capabilities, etc.) it is important to determine key performance indictors (KPIs), prior to evaluating options. Examples: Tracking links in a PPC program determine the conversion rate on a particular keyword (or bucket), site paths allow you to determine user behavior (leading to more effective use cases), etc.

4 9 Content Management System Why? Cost savings on maintenance, improved/timely changes to messaging or general content, and search engine relevancy. Marketing team Everyone consuming content What? A content management system (CMS) allows internal/external non-technical staff to manage general website content. Additionally, some CMS implementations will allow the user to update content in Flash areas, upload documents, and publish with search friendly urls. Workflow can be developed to ensure proper approvals before staged content goes live. Usage: Manage content strategy, launch press releases, update calendars, and/or change general site content.

5 8 CRM and/or Integration Why? Build a segmented database, improve lead distribution with scoring, and ability to develop a targeted automated contact strategy. Inside sales Marketing team What? Hooks to collect all the data being entered into your site forms (contact requests, paper downloads, etc.). The data can be sent directly to a CRM and/or a separate deployment database/system. Hint: Build a valuable database with actionable segmented data by adding an opt-in check box and a drop-down field that allows a user to select industry.

6 7 Search Engine Friendly Why? Steadily decrease cost per acquisition over time while providing ingestible content to customers, prospects, and clients. All consumers Business Decision-makers What? Being search engine friendly means you consider a number of ramifications, including architecting and developing proper site structure, content strategy, and link strategy. Hints: Pick the right CMS, develop unbiased & valuable microsites (single-focus, often sample-sized websites) surrounding topics important to your target (their mindset), and do proper keyword research before seeding content.

7 6 Meshed Content/Contact Strategy Why? Improve conversions on existing data, move prospects through the sales cycle faster, and improve consumer retention. Segmented prospects Clients What? A meshed content/contact strategy is the right balance of what content, how often you push it, and who you push it to. Example: A training video on an underutilized bit of important functionality and which particular client segment would receive the announcement, while dovetailing other communications.

8 5 Visualized Solutions Why? A picture speaks a 1000 words. In the web world, people don t want to read. In fact, we are surprised you made it this far. All site visitors What? Visualizing benefits, product features, or even complex solutions with a graphical sometimes animated model. Examples: Consumer product demos or more complex step by step overlays of client business process problems with the solutions your firm offers, etc.

9 4 Transactional Elements Why? Website ROI. Sales, lead generation, or data aggregation. Consumers Business decision-makers Influencers What? Transactional elements are items of value that motivate website users to enter their information or place an order. Just make sure you are providing reciprocal value for their coveted personal information (i.e. don t ask a user to fill out a 3-page form for a PDF sell sheet). Another tip, generic content/items will yield unqualified leads and low conversion rates on product sales, specific useful content/product targeting a specific role/problem will yield positive results. Examples: Differentiated product/services, white papers, case studies, demos, and additional value-added content such as industry studies, etc..

10 3 Secure Extranet Why? Cost savings on client support requests, efficient distribution of updated collateral (PowerPoint decks, etc.) to business partners, and improved consumer retention (protected value-added content and upsell). Partners Clients Customers What? Like an Intranet, it is a secure area that serves as a communications hub. However, unlike an Intranet, an Extranet generally uses the hub for protected external communications. Examples: Knowledge base, value-added content and upsell, training materials, & marketing asset library (demos, brand guidelines, PPT presentations, etc.).

11 2 Intuitive Experience Why? More transactions and satisfied visitors. All website users What? A intuitive experience is an immersive design/interface that clearly conveys your core message while driving the user through the process with ease. Typically this happens on a platform of needed functionality. An intuitive experience will articulate your core value, compel action, and satisfy each segment s needs. Examples: Layered interface (users stay on the same page while engaging/educating/ evaluating) that routes the target properly to deeper related content while keeping them anchored to the core purpose, use case, and goal.

12 1 Clear Key Value Proposition Why? A business that can clearly articulate a strong value proposition thrives. Your value proposition drives all the elements that drive the website (content strategy, support needs, positioning, etc.). All stake-holders (staff, prospects, investors, and clients) What? Your value proposition is the reason consumers and other businesses are willing to part with their capital (or other). It is what you bring to the table that others can t. You not only need to know it, but you also need to be able to show your prospects and clients what they get out of it. Tips: Your KVP is not three things (i.e. quality, price, and service), keep the message simple, and make sure all internal stake-holders are in alignment with the KVP.

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