Clarify the Organization’s Goals
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Written by admin on September 23, 2008 – 11:00 pm
First, we need to form a clear picture of the organization goals for the site. What is its mission, its purpose, its objectives? For example, is the site intended to generate sales leads? To sell directly to customers? To build product awareness but not actually sell anything? To inform visitors about a political issue? To provide information?
Once our goals are defi ned, we must identify which of these goals are mandatory and which are optional. For instance, Amazon would consider closing as many sales as possible to be a mandatory goal. Encouraging visitors to sign up for notifi cation of forthcoming DVD releases might be a desirable yet optional goal that could be abandoned if necessary. We must also determine the scope of the project. That is, how extensive will it be? For example, Target would probably choose to offer only a small selection of its typically vast store inventory on its web site, thereby limiting the scope of the project.
A retailer of large appliances might choose not to sell online at all, but instead only offer product specifi cations and service information. In all cases, the scope needs to be explicitly defi ned. Otherwise, we run the risk of scope creep: the process of adding more and more unplanned features on the fl y. The most insidious words in web design (not to mention new home construction) are, “Well, while we’re at it…”
A mission statement that prioritizes goals will aid in maintaining focus in this cacophony of competing demands. Keep in mind that different business units marketing, customer service, techies, and management will all be clamoring for space on the site. A mission statement will help the organization to be able to say “no” when some stakeholders must be told that not everything they want can be included on the site. Let’s look at the three basic categories of organizational goals for commercial web sites:
- Increasing profits
- Disseminating information or opinions
- Serving as the user interface for a standard business application
As we look at these three goals, keep in mind that most web sites are “selling” something, even if the site doesn’t involve monetary currency; a web site might well be “selling” opinions or information instead.
Increasing Profits
Most e-commerce sites fall into this category by selling a product or service, as do Amazon, Dell, and E*TRADE. Web sites can also increase profits in ways other than just selling products directly, such as by boosting brand awareness or by decreasing the costs associated with a high incidence of customer service calls. In any case, we design a sales web site to provide the information and ambiance that persuades visitors to open their wallets. These days, such factors include not only showing our products and services in the best light, but also in convincing the visitor that our site is reliable (will deliver a satisfactory product or service, as promised) and trustworthy (will not use our credit card or personal information inappropriately). As we saw in the prior article, the visual design of our web site can go a long way toward convincing visitors that we are both reliable and trustworthy. Keep in mind that among the fastest growing moneymaking businesses on the web today are B2B (Business to Business) sites. A B2B site sells supplies and services to other businesses.
Disseminating Information
Some sites are not primarily sales sites but are instead intended to inform, educate, persuade, or entertain. For instance, a corporate site might post “white papers” on best practices in the software development industry, as a way of contributing to the industry and thus increasing the organization’s status. A news organization like CNN might post the latest news updates. A political organization might publish political opinion pieces. A rock band’s site might provide a concert schedule and free MP3 samples of the band’s latest CD. Although these sites are not primarily concerned with selling something, that doesn’t mean there isn’t money involved. For instance, a news organization might sell ads that bring in revenue to fund the site. A political organization hopes to convince visitors of their wisdom and sincerity so that visitors will donate money to the cause. Even though a rock band might not be actually selling their CDs directly from their web site, they are certainly hoping that visitors purchase those CDs from retail stores.
