Site Goals

Determining the exact purpose for your web site is the most important step in the process of establishing your presence on the World Wide Web. Everything else flows from the purpose--from the structure of the information right down to choice of colors and fonts. The purpose (or purposes) should be concise and should include both your immediate goals and your long-range plans as well. To help generate ideas, here are some of the most common goal areas:

Selling products or services:

E-commerce marketing works if you approach online sales from the customer's point of view. Online sales must be easier, faster, or more cost effective for the consumer. If your company uses phone sales, a web site can be a nice visual complement so potential customers can see your products instantly without waiting for a brochure in the mail. Sales in general can be enhanced because your web site sells for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week around the world. If the cost of a web site seems expensive, think how much you'd have to pay for any other method of reaching millions of people worldwide.

Improving customer support:

Online manuals and troubleshooting guides can make it easier for your customers to get the help they need when they need it. Also, if you have marketing information that changes quickly, the Web can be an essential tool. Realtors and travel companies, for example, were among the first to recognize the competitive advantage of being able to update information online almost instantly.

Educating your customers or the public:

Providing information is one of the key roles for which the Web was intended. It's still the number one reason viewers cite for using the Web. A web site for a health organization, for instance, can help people become aware of risk factors, alternative therapies, latest research, support groups, upcoming legislation, etc. Both businesses and private or non-profit organizations can take advantage of the educational possibilities of the World Wide Web. (In case you hadn't noticed, most of the pages on our site are primarily aimed at educating.)

Research:

Does your business do a lot of market research? Does your organization take polls or surveys? Would you like feedback from customers about a new product idea? The potential for doing research via the web is enormous--and inexpensive.

Enhancing profits:

Besides the profit-enhancing functions considered above, there are many cost-effective side effects of Web use that aren't so apparent. For example, when customers can access your product information online, the need for printed catalogs is reduced or even eliminated. The same is true for flyers, bulk mailings, advertising, and phone costs.

When you begin to create a web site with Turtle Island Web Design, we will work with you to clarify its purpose. Time spent on this step of the web design process can save you a considerable amount of money in the long run, and can mean the difference between site success or failure.