1. Lack of overall strategy and clear definition of success:
Most people realize the need for a site, but don't understand what it can/should do for the company. And when they do have a goal, they don't measure it. We'll often ask people, "What are the objectives of your site?" Answers vary from "the site is supposed to provide information about our company and products", or "the site is supposed to effectively convey our brand to our audience". In actuality, those are very rarely the true objectives, but rather the means to accomplish one's objectives. A website's objectives will in most cases be to drive revenue or generate qualified leads.
2. No integration with other marketing activities ? the website is often on an island.
Okay, so you have your URL on your stationary, collateral, etc. But very rarely is a website tightly integrated with other marketing activities such as direct mail and print advertising. Ideally, a company will drive prospects to specific URL's to accept an appealing offer that might have been presented in a direct mailer or advertisement.
3. No Search Engine Positioning (SEO)
In addition to the above point, very few companies have invested the proper time or effort into being effectively positioned in the major search engines. Once built, most people assume that the Search Engines are all rushing towards their website, blinded by an overwhelming lust to spider the new site. To their shock, they eventually find that while they want to be in the Search Engines, getting there is not an automatic process. Although Forrester Research tells us that 80% of all Internet users visit the search engines, our own research shows that fewer than 10% of companies have done anything to position themselves effectively. Usually, there are excuses for lack of search engine marketing... most commonly, "we don't really feel that our particular audience would be looking for a solution in the search engines".
4. No Strategic Capture of Prospect Data
We always ask if companies are capturing strategic data from prospects that visit the site and hear "We have a Contact Us form." When is the last time you filled out a Contact Us form? Contact forms are not strategic. Case studies, white papers - use anything you can to get the prospect to ask for info - then nurture them over time if they aren't sales ready today!
5. Misconceptions Based on People Using Themselves as the Focus Group
Remember, it's not your individual opinion that should drive the creative design for the website. The website should be created for the customer in mind. A site should have some unique flavor, and personal preferences aren't completely disregarded. But we must conform to some standards of usability and habits, and be creative around them.
6. Lack of Ongoing Activity Analysis
Website log files contain a tremendous amount of data. Usually, too much for a typical marketing person to have time to analyze. As a result, key metrics are rarely defined, and no data ends up being monitored and analyzed. Do you know the definitions of the most common metrics any web manager should be looking at? (Visits, page views, visitors, hits)
7. No Content Management System
There is no reason to have content that is outdated and stale. A content management solution can be implemented very affordably and allows a company greater control over their site. It allows non-technical people the ability to control content. Most good sites today are built with a content management system.
8. The Neighbor's Nephew as Web Strategist
"I realize that we're a $50 million company with hundreds of customers, but I really think my neighbor's nephew who just finished a web course can handle our company's web strategy. The old adage "You get what you pay for" holds very true on the Internet. Experience, expertise and customer service are the value propositions a consultant/developer should bring to the table.
9. Focusing Too Much on the Technology
Websites are not technology - integrating them with CRM or ERP systems are very technical issues and should be treated as such. But building a website is a function of marketing. In today's world, a website is a marketing tool - whether it be a lead generation tool, sales support tool or a client extranet. Once you know what kind of server environment and language you will be building in, there are few technical issues that will be popping up.
10. "We don't believe in requesting data from visitors, or using it for e-mail marketing." "People are getting enough spam, we don't want to annoy them even more."
If your site does not attempt to capture the name of an interested, qualified visitor, then what is it really doing? Being prompted for a small amount of information in order to receive some valuable offer in exchange does not annoy people. (In fact, many of our clients have seen increased leads after implementing some registration processes). Furthermore, opt-in e-mail marketing (to those who gave you permission to send information occasionally) will not be viewed as spam, and will, in most cases, generate higher response rates than seen with any other marketing activity. Response rates to opt-in e-mail marketing in the range of 10% - 30% are not unheard of at all.
To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today.
Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston. Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.
Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.
Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.
Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.
There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats... Read More
Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It... Read More
What Will My Site Do?This is the first of eight... Read More
STEP 1:Do your homeworkPlan and think about your content. Think... Read More
This article may come as a surprise to you.Especially since... Read More
In this article you will find the parallel between two... Read More
In cascading style sheets you can specify how your web... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
When considering whether or not to incorporate Flash into your... Read More
Back to basics. Forget funky design, good copywriting is the... Read More
The concept of web designing based on the nature and... Read More
When you develop a sales brochure, you have a mental... Read More
One visit does not make a sale. Be sure to... Read More
This article gives free tips on how to find a... Read More
The icons in an application are the soul of the... Read More
There's no doubt about it - the first page your... Read More
There are two important reasons to build your website from... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
Do use a consistent look and feel Your site should... Read More
Creating an appealing, functional, and effective Web site is much... Read More
Reading on the web is different than reading in all... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Projecting a professional image is paramount to your website's success.... Read More
You spend time and money promoting your website; but what... Read More
Geared Up with a website and lots of energy to... Read More
When a prospect lands on your website will he or... Read More
ASP.NET is a new programming framework from Microsoft for developing... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
Selling on the internet is a challenge. There is no... Read More
Building a website that is exactly what you want and... Read More
A web site builder can be a real life saver... Read More
Your business website tells a lot about your company. A... Read More
Whether you are planning on having a website built for... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Here is a quick list of components that make a... Read More
ASP.NET is a new programming framework from Microsoft for developing... Read More
My site is working fine. The links work. Content is... Read More
Argh, where's the contact button?! Believe it or not, some... Read More
When you start building your online business and search for... Read More
Creating an appealing, functional, and effective Web site is much... Read More
When you're self-employed, choosing a website designer is a crucial... Read More
A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More
Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More
In this article we will be looking at why you... Read More
Your website is your tool for showing the online community... Read More
Unarguably, the most important part of your website is content.... Read More
Did you know that many folks make "buying decisions" when... Read More
The importance of choosing your website keywords carefully is very... Read More
Typos, misspellings, hideous grammar, exclamation overkill and run-on sentences all... Read More
The top ten fonts for website design might change in... Read More
I want you to imagine a lemon. In your mind's... Read More
Contrary to the beliefs of some, advertising for web and... Read More
Congratulations! You've got a brand new site and it's doing... Read More
Most web designers and web design companies will try to... Read More
Tips to brand your websiteInclude your logo in all pages.... Read More
When I surf the Net, I often see web sites... Read More
If you are going to have a web presence for... Read More
As of September, Smartads went through what so many have... Read More
You just created a new web site but want to... Read More
Before I discovered the concept of Web site templates, I... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
So, what's in a website design anyway? And, how do... Read More
With the advent of the Internet a whole new vista... Read More
Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More
We all want high impact graphics for our Web sites... Read More
You spend time and money promoting your website; but what... Read More
Web Design |