What Kind of Site Do We Need? Websites have become an important part of B2B marketing. If you’re developing a new website, it’s important to decide how the site will support your sales process and marketing campaigns. A website has taken the place of the corporate brochure, and it can play an important role in: Generating leads Nurturing existing leads Communicating to existing customers Helping you generate publicity about your company The first step is to identify the role your site plays in your sales process and what users want and need to see before they’ll act. Once you’ve defined those requirements, you’ll have a good idea of whether you have a simple or complex site.
IDENTIFY YOUR BASIC NEEDS
These checklists can help you quickly pinpoint the type of sites you need. When would you need a simple site? YOU CAN USE A BASIC SITE IF (check any that apply to you)
You’re an early stage company and need to convey only basic information for the short-‐term – you just need to have a site that says who you are, what you do, and looks good. You know you need a more sophisticated site eventually but need to put up something basic – and quickly You have a very small customer base and don’t need to generate a lot of leads for every customer you land Your sales process is extremely personal and not particularly long – for example, if you’re selling services to very targeted companies in your local area. You don’t need to nurture them via email and content on your site. You don’t need to generate leads via the web – you just need to look good to a handful of customers. You don’t need to communicate a large amount of information with a dealer network or distribution channel. You simply can’t afford anything but a basic site (<$5000)
Websites What Kind of Site Do We Need?
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Notes: When would you need a more sophisticated site? YOU NEED A SOPHISTICATED SITE IF (CHECK ANY THAT APPLY TO YOU)
You’re really using your site to help you in the sales process and need to deliver the right information for your prospects You need to generate and nurture a large number of prospects to reach your sales goals You want to generate new prospects through Search marketing: Appearing on search engines when prospects search for topics that your company can address Regular email marketing with articles, special offers, etc. Ads and listings on industry sites Conducting online seminars You need to display a lot of products, details, & pricing info; prospects need to be able to find that information quickly You need to process orders, store customer information, let prospects search your content or provide other functionality You’re selling on product innovation and need to support that value proposition with an innovative design You’re going to be launching PR campaigns and authoring stories to raise your profile, generate buzz, and drive interest in your company You want your prospects to be able to find information very easily but you have a lot of content to share
Notes Websites What Kind of Site Do We Need?
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Are you confident that one of these scenarios applies to you? YOUR DECISION NEXT STEPS Yes – I’m confident that we need a simple site You’re done with this exercise – you can now get started on 302 – Simple Site Architecture Yes – I’m confident that we need a more You’re done with this exercise – you can now get sophisticated site started on 304 – Sophisticated Site Architecture No, I’m still not sure Continue with this exercise If you’re not sure, here’s a detailed description of each type of site. Check the criteria that are most appropriate for your company and stage of growth. SIMPLE SITE SOPHISTICATED SITE OBJECTIVE Convey basic information Support your sales process Generate leads Communicate with a larger audience Offer more targeted or deeper content (i.e. product catalog) Process orders Support internet marketing programs MARKETING Basic paid search campaigns Email marketing to nurture prospects, PROGRAMS for a few highly targeted communicate with customers keywords Occasional email campaigns Emails include links to individual with a link to a new custom content pages that include the rest of landing page the story, convert the prospect to the next step Basic news section Search campaigns to generate new prospects from web searches Regular newsletters updated and posted to site SITE CONTENT AND <15 pages Large number of pages AMOUNT OF CONTENT Simple page for press releases Regularly-‐updated content to draw web with links to stories, each searchers and prospects who aren’t displayed on a separate page ready to buy, but need to be educated Could have newsletters but Database-‐driven content (ie a product same format as press releases catalog) NAVIGATION
Persistent navigation at the top
Websites What Kind of Site Do We Need?
Content may vary based on the user More than two levels of navigation
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Potentially one level of sub-‐ navigation underneath
Changing navigation based on the section you’re in Pages accessible from multiple areas Content that drives visitors into specialized areas
PAGE DESIGN
Standard page design Same layout for each page All HTML – no effects
Design needs to convey a specific look and feel Variety of page designs Needs small flash pieces, special graphics, or uses photography Flash or javascript effects
FORMS/DATA CAPTURE
Standard “contact us” form with no security or encryption required
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
Manually update existing text with basic HTML knowledge
REPORTING
Basic traffic by source and by page
Presentations Capture sensitive customer data (particularly billing information); requires SSL to encrypt and protect More extensive prospect/customer data capture, potentially with variable actions based on what the user enters (“If/then” logic) Easily create new pages for search campaigns, press releases, email campaigns, etc. Add or modify the navigation Easily swap graphics and other elements on the page User-‐friendly interface that requires no programming knowledge More sophisticated custom reports as needed
If you have any additional requirements or comments, note them here. Based on this review, which type of site do you need? TYPE OF SITE NEEDED
A simple site
NEXT STEPS To develop your requirements, use 302 – Simple Site Architecture
Websites What Kind of Site Do We Need?
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TYPE OF SITE NEEDED
A more sophisticated site Somewhere in between
NEXT STEPS To develop your requirements, use 304 – Sophisticated Site Architecture Use 304 – Sophisticated Site Architecture and skip over any of the areas that don’t apply to you
Websites What Kind of Site Do We Need?
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