December 2002

Corporate Web Site Blunders: Five Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

In today's tough market, simply having a corporate website isn't good enough. Make your site worth the investment by avoiding some common problems.

By Barry Owen

These days, consumers have higher expectations of corporate websites than ever before. A corporate site is a critical extension of a company's brand, positioning, and image. If yours isn't achieving its maximum potential, it's time to figure out why—and to make the necessary changes. Below are some guidelines to help you get started.

Clear business objectives: Can't live without 'em

Once upon a time—about five years ago—the most important aspect of a corporate website was that it existed. Back when a company's primary goal was simply to have an Internet presence, this was acceptable. But in today's market, if your website doesn't support the business objectives of your company as a whole, you've got a problem. A site must serve as an extension of, and a complement to, your stated business goals. Without clear—and clearly communicated—corporate positioning, fiscal accountability is impossible. Your company will pay the price in questionable spending, missed opportunities for growth, and limited customer acquisition and retention.

Target audience: Missing in action?

No marketing executive would ever allocate budget resources to an advertising campaign without identifying the target audience. Yet companies routinely spend tens of millions of marketing dollars on corporate websites without having a comprehensive understanding of their constituents. Not surprisingly, they fail to accurately assess the audience profile, and they are unable to effectively monitor their positioning. The result is a corporate black hole that sucks up precious marketing dollars, not to mention makes it impossible to develop an audience-targeted website. Not sure if this scenario applies to you? Ask your website managers to identify their audience. If you get more than one answer, it's time to get to know your current and prospective customers, pronto.

Navigation nightmare: Getting lost on the home page

Seasoned marketers live by a two-second rule: You've got two seconds to connect with your target audience, and if you don't, you never will. The same rule applies to home pages. Yet countless numbers of corporate websites clutter their home pages with extraneous messages, disorganized information, and distracting links. And many sites lack a clear entry point for navigation. The good news is that every day, newspaper editors succeed in grabbing their readers' attention on the front page and enticing them to keep reading. If your company website is professionally designed and well structured, it will do the same.

Outdated content: Goodbye to yesterday's news

When customers visit your website, they expect information that's not only up-to-date, but up-to-the-minute. Many corporate sites, however, are littered with conspicuously outdated content. (Archived material does not fall into this category, provided it's clearly labeled and dated.) This kind of sloppy housekeeping sends a clear message to consumers: As a company, we're unreliable. It's never too early for content spring cleaning—and it should happen routinely and thoroughly.

ROI: Bring in the metrics

Unlike direct mail and other marketing programs, websites don't offer easily quantifiable results. That doesn't mean it's impossible to track your return on investment. Optimize the process by evaluating baseline reference setting, quantitative data, qualitative observation, and trend documentation. Start by establishing clear, and clearly communicated, business objectives. Then track consumer response by offering engaging content and information that invites user interaction. If you develop unintrusive, thought-provoking tools to elicit consumer feedback, you'll soon have a wealth of information for analysis and, ultimately, smart decision making.

About the author:

Barry Owen is a consulting editor to Tendo Communications.