Successful web sites must provide efficient, convenient applications for visitors. In industries where competitors' web sites demonstrate interactivity, responsiveness, accuracy and security, developing a web site without these user-centric features may suggest to your visitors that you are less potent than the competition. Business web sites without web applications are like quaint holdovers from the early days of the web.
Examine your processes and ask which services you could migrate to the web. Pay particular attention to your documentation, because information delivery and documentation are two areas where the Internet is extremely capable. But don't stop there. We've developed applications on the Google, Altavista and Drupal APIs, greatly expanding the range of services our clients can offer to theirs.
We suggest providing the services your competitors offer online as a minimum, and point out that companies who invest in applications designed around their clients stand out among the competition. Why?
Online, the services you provide to visitors and existing customers alike, your "user-centric applications", are evidence of the effectiveness and capabilities of your business overall. Because visitors can see and interact with them, these applications are one of the ways visitors judge and measure the ability of your business on the whole.
Developing Applications for Your Business
Web development that doesn't account for the applications your business needs will leave you seeking 3rd party service providers. At a minimum, you'll need auto-responders or email marketing campaigns. If you don't build these things, your online venture suddenly develops recurring expenses. Don't have a list? We'll show you how to build one, and market with one, in full CAN-SPAM compliance.
Building without incorporating the necessary tools is just not professional web development. Your business web site should be designed and developed with the applications you need. You should rarely need a third party service provider if you own your own web site.
While the applications needed by any business will be specific to that business and industry, we find the following considerations useful starting points for developing goals. Your should ask...
- what services are your competitors offering online?
- which ones are useful and successful tools you should provide?
- imagine yourself as the visitor or client - what services would you like to see?
- examine where documentation requires user input - can this go online?
- what existing services from major Internet resources (such as Google) would be valuable to your clients? (remember, e Star can build on the APIs of any available code base)
- dare to dream a little - Innovate and Create
The Expectations of the User
In one word, "convenience". People expect convenience online. Many who make use of the Internet do so for convenience alone. The Internet user of today is a far more web enabled consumer than ever before, and most have direct experience interacting with business online. Convenience is assumed by them; and, without providing it for them, your business will seem curiously inept.
Depending on your industry, providing your visitors and customers with convenient and meaningful ways to interact with your company online can put you well ahead of your competitors... all the more so if you innovate and create.
Again, look at your documentation processes. Can you migrate these services to the web? Can you save your visitors and customers valuable time?
e Star Professional has programmed hundreds of database driven web applications that are currently serving both our clients and theirs.
