By Sandor Panton, Contributor
FOR SOME organisations and individuals, a web site is seen merely as a tool that simply sits there, either making money for the company or producing a constant flow of sales leads and queries with little or no intervention from humans. The reality however is that the truly serious web sites are not entities that can function effectively and stand on their own, without certain support machinery behind them.
While it may not be financially practical for some organisations to have a dedicated web site manager, the company's web presence should be taken seriously enough that it falls within the immediate and constant list of priorities of an individual. These are some of the questions that this individual should be able to answer at any given time.
HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE SITE'S SUCCESS AND/OR POPULARITY?
You must be able to evaluate the success of your site. Not all sites will use the same factors as measures of success, so this has to be looked at carefully for each. Daily unique visitors, percentage of search engine referrals, number of orders and revenue generated are some of the more commonly used measurement criteria of success.
HOW OFTEN IS EMAIL CHECKED AND HOW QUICKLY ARE THEY RESPONDED TO?
It's all well and good that potential customers can send emails to the various email addresses listed on the web site. But who is checking, reading and responding to these emails and inquiries? Having an email link on your web site is only as good as the procedures for ensuring that the email is actually read and responded to within a reasonable timeframe.
HOW OFTEN IS THE SITE REVIEWED?
It's important to plan for regular reviews of the effectiveness and success of the site. It may result in something as simple as creating a new layout or graphics to keep it looking fresh and appealing, or as complex as implementing a new back-end database to make it easier to do updates. Whatever it is, the main aim should be to take advantage of potential opportunities in a timely manner, and deal with problems (actual or potential) before they become a major issue.
FOR E-COMMERCE SITES, ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THIS?
Your site takes online orders, but how do you ensure that the products ordered are sent out on time? How are they sent out? How do you ensure that the customers' personal and financial information is kept secure and confidential? Are there local laws that you should be concerned about? Are there local taxes and delivery factors that you may need to take into account?
HOW IS YOUR SITE BEING PROMOTED?
Is a marketing strategy for the site being incorporated into the overall marketing strategy for the company? Is the site enjoying good coverage and rankings in the major search engines? How do you ensure that an effective site promotion strategy is being followed and how do you measure its success?
Sandor Panton is an Internet Specialist & Consultant. If you have any comment contact him at feedback@ jamaica-gleaner.com. Unlocking the secrets of the Internet is a series brought to you by www.go-jamaica .com , the portal web site of the Jamaica Gleaner.
