BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : FEBRUARY 5, 2001 ISSUE
FRONTIER -- FEATURES ONLINE EXTRA: On the Web, Simple Is Smart This and other tips on making the most of your relationship with your site designer Setting up a Web site can be an intimidating process. It's no wonder that many small companies hire an external designer or Web developer to create a professional and functional online presence. But as in most business situations, knowing what to ask for is crucial. All too often, entrepreneurs report false starts with designers and money lost over unmet expectations. Guinnevere Poernomo, an interactive multimedia developer for Indianapolis-based Bastian Material Handling Corp. creates sites for small businesses. She spoke with BusinessWeek reporter Ellen Neuborne about how to get the most out of your developer and, ultimately, your Web site. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation: Q: What's a common mistake small companies make when they embark on a Web-site project? A: Smaller companies often assume a Web site is just a solution for marketing their business. This isn't true at all. Rather, a Web site should act like a friendly staff member. Most successful Web sites out there act as a help desk or a salesperson. They should help a company field incoming calls, handling easy questions like driving directions or price list or show schedules, so that the live staff can be freed up to do more "real" work. That's much different than just marketing your company to the world. Q: How can you design with your customers in mind? A: Customers today are getting more and more sophisticated and demanding. They know exactly what they're looking for, and they don't want to spend a minute looking around or explaining to anyone what they are looking for. Many consumers, when they go to your site online, want to write their order and get it over with. They are online to find something, so make this an important part of your site design: Does the site help customers easily find information they are looking for? Does it help them make buying decisions? Does it give them a reason to come back? Q: What should you look for in a Web designer? A: A combination of presentation style and problem-solving skills. Too many designers are trapped focusing either on looking good or on functionality. Both are very important. Find a designer that has mastered a good balance of presentation design and functionality design. Ask for a portfolio of previous projects. This will give you ideas on how sophisticated a Web designer is and also give you a glimpse of his or her problem-solving design style. Q: How should you budget for a Web project? A: Web sites today are getting more and more affordable. You can ask your Web designer for a quick budget estimate on what it will take to create and maintain your Web site annually. Listen for the phrase "easily updatable." That's important. Web sites are very dynamic. You want to be able to update your site without it costing you anything. A good Web site should be easy enough to update under your control. Q: Should you have the latest cutting-edge technology on your site, like streaming video and shopping carts? A: You don't need a cutting-edge technology on a Web site. Usually, it just slows the site down. Keep it very simple. Remember your Web site is your salesperson. If it's too complicated and noisy, then customers might run away because they feel intimidated. Now, if you are in the entertainment industry, you might want to consider some advanced graphics like Flash and Shockwave and streaming video. Q:What about e-commerce? A: If you're sure that you can generate more revenue from the Web site than the cost of building and maintaining an e-commerce store, I'd say go ahead and add e-commerce to your Web site. Otherwise, wait until the world is more comfortable with online purchasing. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS Why the Web Still Works CHART: Online Economics TABLE: DiBruno Bros. TABLE: Helen Wells Agency TABLE: Sneetch Enterprises Inc. TABLE: Regent Book Co. TABLE: Web Savvy ONLINE EXTRA: On the Web, Simple Is Smart INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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