Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approached us with a web site in the final stages of development.
At this point in time the EPA had a reasonable investment in the new web site. As one would expect, this was not without some reasonable level of expectation that the site would meet all the level of it’s requirements of the EPA, their stakeholders and customers.
When you are thinking about reworking your existing web site I bet you find yourself thinking about the new features you could have on your site. Now these features may look really sexy and give the impression that you are up with the latest trends.
However the reality you have to ask yourself is, are these features going to help my customer, are they really going to help the business.
Managing a website can be hard at the best of times, there is the technology itself – that is forever changing. Then there is the new kid on the block social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and like.
On top of all this is there is the constant reminder that your content has to be just right for your customers and Google (for all that SEO goodness). And then you have to ensure that your site is usable for your potential customers as well. It’s a lot to take on.
You may not have known, but in Australia it is an offence for certain industries and providers not to have accessible websites under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Now this may sound a little strange, but the reality of any web site is that the visitor (and potential customer) has to be in control of the entire process.
If they aren’t in control, then they are going to feel like they are being rail-roaded, forced to make a decision, and have that horrible out of control feeling. We have all had it. The feeling of being not in control, when things are being dictated to us. We all know that it’s not pleasant. We hate it personally, and will avoid it.
The same concept applies to a web site.
If you went to buy a consumer good a few years ago, depending on the urgency, you would leverage your contacts to get the best advice. Maybe you would start with a chat with friends over a coffee, discussing what they use.
However that has changed. Take this point in case. We need to purchase a consumer good on the weekend.
I think I know my customers very well. Some I have had business relationships with for the last 15 years. Do I think I know their customers well. Would I honestly try and second guess them. No, not really.
It’s not that I don’t have the experience, design skills, or the details of what they tend to be like.
In the old media industry (print) all you really had to do was get the design right. Follow the rules and your design would sing.
However the web is not print – bet you have heard that before. Designing a web site is more than just a perfect visual design. A design that follows all the principles of good design.
Earlier in the week a series of warnings about the web browser Internet Explorer was issued by several governments, including the Australian federal government. This issue isn’t a hoax, it’s a genuine concern.
That big “e” application that you use to access the web has a number of security flaws that are starting to be widely exploited. This means when you use an Internet Explorer browser you are in real danger of having your secure information compromised. So maybe this is a good time to stop using Internet Explorer and consider the alternatives.
Web strategies are one of those misunderstood beasts of the web business world. Something you should consider if you are serious about your web site. Yes, I can hear you going, “why do I need this waste of time, worthless document”. That’s what I used to think too. However I believe you will see things differently, web site strategies are about saving money.
It’s interesting that people still consider that the design and development of a website should be treated like a software development project. Most websites you see are information based by nature, they are not software.
The same approaches that are used to build a word processer or a specialised CRM (Customer Relationship Management) should not be used for a website. Look at it from the core view of what they are used for. Your desktop software is used as a tool to acheive a task. When your website is centered around information – be that the delivery of information as a public service or to sell your products, it s still information at it’s core.
