In today’s culture, a compelling, well developed website is essential in the growth of your company as a complement to the ongoing communication of your brand and experience. Many people will assess the value of your organization simply by their experience and interaction with your website. This fairly new phenomenon requires that your web presence be a strong and consistent representation of your company’s brand identity, value, and overall experience. Remember, the experience is often more important than the product or service you provide. If a company moves forward with a website, it should be consistent with their overall brand strategy, and meet the objectives of the communication strategy.
There are many different ways to use a website including informational, lead generation, educational, functional (i.e. account management, online store, support), community, etc. However, all of these should be done in a manner which is consistent with the values of the organization. You’ve likely spent a lot of time thinking about your office space and how it should look, what type of furniture you should have, the style, etc. You do this because you’re space is an extension of who you are as a company. Your website is the same thing. Advertisements in newspapers or the yellow pages are just ways for people to find you. You’re website is part of the overall experience of the company and will likely be visited prior to other types of interaction. So as you build your website, think about the first impressions that you want them to have about your company. Just as if they were to walk into your office, store, or building.
