April 2004
Building a Website That Works for You
Taking a custom publishing approach to your website enables you to deliver the information customers need when they need it.
By Karla Spormann
What's missing from your website?
In this era of information overload, ensuring that the diverse array of visitors to your site find what they're looking for is crucial. Customers and prospects won't invest much time and effort in seeking information relevant to their needs: They either find it right away or they abandon the effort and go elsewhere.
"A successful content strategy must address the unique needs of an audience or customer, not merely transmit or broadcast what your company wants to say." Savvy marketers have begun to embrace a Web strategy that can deliver value and relevance to their key audiences by adopting a custom publishing approach to their websites.
Most marketers are familiar with custom publishing programs in print—targeted magazines and newsletters that enhance a brand by providing customers with information and/or entertainment that bolsters a company's position and value. They're less familiar with the value this approach can bring to Web communication programs.
So, how can a custom publishing strategy increase the value of your website?
First, consider the value of your website as a strategic communication tool. Inevitably your site must serve the needs of many discrete constituencies. No doubt you also have distinct communication goals for each of these segments.
A custom publishing program on the Web can effectively address several key communication goals:
- Build brand equity by extending relationships with your customers
- Educate and inform prospects and customers by facilitating the buying process with supporting information
- Bolster your credibility by developing new markets and new audiences
- Promote thought leadership by presenting complex ideas in a format that is accessible to readers
But don't overlook the importance of execution. It's not just what you intend to accomplish, but also how you accomplish it. You want a content strategy that sets your site apart. A successful content strategy must address the unique needs of an audience or customer, not merely broadcast what your company wants to say.
A smart content strategy combines a mix of the following elements:
- Understanding the needs and interests of an audience
- Considering the range of sources your audience has access to
- Creating a hierarchy of information that addresses audience needs in the right sequence
- Developing the right mix of content types and integrating content to engage your target audience
- Establishing a voice and tone for your Web content that reflects your company and your brand
- Setting standards for language and presentation and applying those standards consistently throughout your site
Adherence to these principles can create an extremely valuable and meaningful Web experience for the customers and prospects who visit your site.
The fact is, however, few advertising copywriters, e-marketers, or Web integrators have the skills or experience needed to marry the needs and interests of a particular target audience with the messages you want to communicate. That's because the discipline, methodology, and training required to develop this approach is both specialized and unique. It requires the expertise of a publishing team who understands your audience and is trained in publishing best practices.
About the author:
Karla Spormann is the president and founding partner of Tendo Communications.
