The Marketing Bureau

Three Things You Need To Know
First Published on www.marketingprofs.com

Jonathan Kranz writes that he often winces at the missed opportunities he sees in B2C and B2B websites. "There may be nothing particularly 'wrong' about the design, the underlying coding, or even the writing," he says at MarketingProfs, "but these websites aren't right, because they fail to connect with customers in any meaningful way."

So when it's time to launch or redesign your company's website, consider advice like this:

Keep your eyes firmly focused on the ways your customers will use your site. "[T]oo many enterprises initiate their Web efforts by reviewing their competitors' sites," he notes. This practice, however, comes with a built-in problem. "Without critical information about how well these sites perform, how can you know what's worth retaining or rejecting?"

Think of your site as a crossroads through which visitors pass on their way to other social-networking destinations. "How will your site relate to those other sources?" he asks. "Can you develop content that can be spread and shared across the Web? Are there opportunities to encourage links back to your site?"

Create a structure that best presents your content. "No one in her right mind would design a book cover, select a binding, and create an index before actually writing the book itself," he says. "But that's exactly what so many people do when they approach a website: the architecture comes first, then a copywriter is summoned to fill in the blanks."

The Point: You'll gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace if your website caters to the needs of its users. "By matching your Web presence to your customers' Web habits," he argues, "you stand the best chance of winning their confidence and cash."