360 Articles
Does Your Web Site Match Your Lobby? ©Lida Citroën, 2008
The online space offers a unique, relatively inexpensive and dynamic way to engage audiences with a company, a brand. Since we know that most people will “Google us” prior to meeting with us, and they will look at our Web site to gauge our tone, look and feel, it is important that our online presence connects with them. Most presales decisions are based on information found online.
What this means to marketing departments and creative types, is that the company’s Web presence is more important now than ever.
Why should a Web site match a company’s lobby?
When someone visits your office and is greeted by a warm, personable receptionist, then walks down halls filled with photos of the company, it's history and staff, you get an impression – a feel and a tone for the organization. Many times, if you then go to the Web site, you find a very different tone and feel. Perhaps the company has chosen a futuristic, overly designed and “heavy” (lots of animation and technology) feel for the Web site. When this doesn’t match and align with the company’s brand, the visitor is left confused and discouraged. They are unsure whether the friendly, helpful people they met at the company are representative of the organization, or the Web presence is who the company really is, or wants to be. Either way, setting a consistent tone will reinforce and demonstrate truth in branding, rather than confusion and conflict.
What are three things to consider before branding a Web site?
What is the purpose of your site? Define a set of expectations for the site: who you want to draw to your site, what you want them to feel about your company and what do you want them to do at the site? A strong site purpose also helps you design metrics and tools to measure effectiveness of the site. Some Web sites are simply positioning pieces, part of an integrated marketing communications package that highlights features and benefits and serves as a resource for those wanting information about the company.
Other sites may have strong calls to action such as “Sign up now!” “Buy now” “Register today!” and so on. These sites are clear, intuitive and can measure traffic and conversion because they will set up with those expectations in place at the outset.
Does your brand promise live online? It is important to align your messaging and the look, feel and tone of your branding in your site. For instance, if your organization represents promises of transparency, authenticity and trust (as a non-profit might), then you would look to include mechanics which allow for feedback, input, display of documentation and financials. All of these features would be consistent with transparency and genuineness.
Who is your target audience and what do they need from your site? By focusing on the needs of your audience (clients, prospects, strategic alliance partners, customers, vendors, etc.,) you are able to design Web marketing messaging and usability that is consistent with how your audience needs to find information. For example, if your audience is franchise operators, it will be important that they can navigate the site quickly and efficiently to download forms, templates and marketing materials they might need. They may need to receive updates on changes to product lines and information, and pushing that information to them in a timely and efficient way creates trust with your audience.
Where do most Web sites go wrong?
There are many ways… aside from not having a search feature, inadequate use of white space, elements in the wrong place and numerous other design flaws, one of the most common is letting the technology lead the design, rather than the audience. There are hundreds of new buzzers and bells you can add to a Web site. Almost daily a new one is launched. I’ve seen great sites get cluttered with streaming video, interactive polling features, flash animation and other great technology solutions, that may have nothing to do with their core business and/or brand value.
At the same time, some sites are designed with business objectives first, and consideration of the audience and their needs second. In this case, the site is all about you, the company, and I might feel intrusive by visiting (the audience) if it doesn’t speak to me. Focusing on visitor needs and usability at the outset not only increases visits and repeat visits but can increase brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. I’ve seen Web sites that are so concerned with promotion of a product’s features and benefits, that they forgot to let the viewer know how to purchase it.
What do good Web sites do well?
Effective Web sites integrate the audience’s needs and goals with the brand value of the organization, and deliver content in an engaging and intuitive way. Web sites that offer two-way dialogue, where feedback and input can be captured, allows marketing professionals to mine and measure effectiveness at every turn. This enables the site to stay fresh and relevant by making course corrections as needed.
Likewise, good Web sites maximize their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to be sure their placement in search engines positions them top of mind in potential customers’ minds. Good SEO alone will produce results, but adding paid search through Google and Yahoo, for instance, can deliver customers to your front door.
Lastly, good Web sites don’t over think it. Unless your core business is demonstrating a forward-thinking technology in a highly technical environment, viewers today appreciate sites that are clear, understandable and helpful. Make it easy for your viewers to find what they need, to get in touch with you when they want to engage with you, and come back to see new content and information on your site. For that, a carrot works better than a stick!
The online space offers a unique, relatively inexpensive and dynamic way to engage audiences with a company, a brand. Since we know that most people will “Google us” prior to meeting with us, and they will look at our Web site to gauge our tone, look and feel, it is important that our online presence connects with them. Most presales decisions are based on information found online.
What this means to marketing departments and creative types, is that the company’s Web presence is more important now than ever.
Why should a Web site match a company’s lobby?
When someone visits your office and is greeted by a warm, personable receptionist, then walks down halls filled with photos of the company, it's history and staff, you get an impression – a feel and a tone for the organization. Many times, if you then go to the Web site, you find a very different tone and feel. Perhaps the company has chosen a futuristic, overly designed and “heavy” (lots of animation and technology) feel for the Web site. When this doesn’t match and align with the company’s brand, the visitor is left confused and discouraged. They are unsure whether the friendly, helpful people they met at the company are representative of the organization, or the Web presence is who the company really is, or wants to be. Either way, setting a consistent tone will reinforce and demonstrate truth in branding, rather than confusion and conflict.
What are three things to consider before branding a Web site?
What is the purpose of your site? Define a set of expectations for the site: who you want to draw to your site, what you want them to feel about your company and what do you want them to do at the site? A strong site purpose also helps you design metrics and tools to measure effectiveness of the site. Some Web sites are simply positioning pieces, part of an integrated marketing communications package that highlights features and benefits and serves as a resource for those wanting information about the company.
Other sites may have strong calls to action such as “Sign up now!” “Buy now” “Register today!” and so on. These sites are clear, intuitive and can measure traffic and conversion because they will set up with those expectations in place at the outset.
Does your brand promise live online? It is important to align your messaging and the look, feel and tone of your branding in your site. For instance, if your organization represents promises of transparency, authenticity and trust (as a non-profit might), then you would look to include mechanics which allow for feedback, input, display of documentation and financials. All of these features would be consistent with transparency and genuineness.
Who is your target audience and what do they need from your site? By focusing on the needs of your audience (clients, prospects, strategic alliance partners, customers, vendors, etc.,) you are able to design Web marketing messaging and usability that is consistent with how your audience needs to find information. For example, if your audience is franchise operators, it will be important that they can navigate the site quickly and efficiently to download forms, templates and marketing materials they might need. They may need to receive updates on changes to product lines and information, and pushing that information to them in a timely and efficient way creates trust with your audience.
Where do most Web sites go wrong?
There are many ways… aside from not having a search feature, inadequate use of white space, elements in the wrong place and numerous other design flaws, one of the most common is letting the technology lead the design, rather than the audience. There are hundreds of new buzzers and bells you can add to a Web site. Almost daily a new one is launched. I’ve seen great sites get cluttered with streaming video, interactive polling features, flash animation and other great technology solutions, that may have nothing to do with their core business and/or brand value.
At the same time, some sites are designed with business objectives first, and consideration of the audience and their needs second. In this case, the site is all about you, the company, and I might feel intrusive by visiting (the audience) if it doesn’t speak to me. Focusing on visitor needs and usability at the outset not only increases visits and repeat visits but can increase brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. I’ve seen Web sites that are so concerned with promotion of a product’s features and benefits, that they forgot to let the viewer know how to purchase it.
What do good Web sites do well?
Effective Web sites integrate the audience’s needs and goals with the brand value of the organization, and deliver content in an engaging and intuitive way. Web sites that offer two-way dialogue, where feedback and input can be captured, allows marketing professionals to mine and measure effectiveness at every turn. This enables the site to stay fresh and relevant by making course corrections as needed.
Likewise, good Web sites maximize their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to be sure their placement in search engines positions them top of mind in potential customers’ minds. Good SEO alone will produce results, but adding paid search through Google and Yahoo, for instance, can deliver customers to your front door.
Lastly, good Web sites don’t over think it. Unless your core business is demonstrating a forward-thinking technology in a highly technical environment, viewers today appreciate sites that are clear, understandable and helpful. Make it easy for your viewers to find what they need, to get in touch with you when they want to engage with you, and come back to see new content and information on your site. For that, a carrot works better than a stick!
"What this means to marketing departments and creative types, is that the company’s Web presence is more important now than ever."
