VinceZ

The e-business world is a crowded one, and entry barriers are low. So a firm that wants to distinguish its Web site from those of its competitors faces a major challenge. In fact, brick-and-mortar and dot.com companies both face that hurdle, but in different ways. Brick-and-mortar companies that are transitioning to the Web need to provide a smooth, seamless integration between the old and the new. Too often, paper documents are scanned in and posted on the Web site regardless of whether they really fit with an e-business model. But at least many traditional firms have strong brand recognition that helps the customer connect.

For the companies that started out as e-businesses, however, the climb to brand recognition is steeper. No lingering loyalty brings someone to one site over another; these firms are new. But there are some important differentiators where the customer meets the Home Page. Some sites are informative, easy to use and fun, while others are slow-loading, difficult to navigate and frustrating. Moreover, some are visually appealing and invite the visitor to explore, while others are sparse and discourage interaction. Or, at the other extreme, so cluttered and distracting that it's hard to focus on the main point.

Portals are one of the fastest growing types of Web sites on the Internet. Two major approaches are found--one is the consumer-oriented gateway to the Web as offered by Yahoo, Excite, Lycos and many others--news, stock quotes, information categories. The other is the enterprise information portal (EIP), designed to function as extended intranets and organize corporate information in an accessible way.

To draw in users, whether external customers or employees, design a Web site that:
• highlights the key message of the site,
• blends text and graphics in an integrated way,
• is easy to navigate and has a site map,
• provides meaningful content and a search capability.

For e-commerce, speed is of the essence--after all, users are buying on the Internet to save time. Therefore, extensive graphics and plug-ins are likely to prove discouraging, as are too many layers between the Home Page and the purchase. Customer service phone support is likely to prove very helpful. On the Dell site, users can configure their purchases but have easy access to customer service representatives (CSR) if they have last-minute questions. The CSR, in turn, has immediate access to the customer's selections so far. That smooth integration has helped make Dell one of the most popular purchasing sites on the Web.

Reliability and performance

If you want the e-doors to be open for business around the clock, the Web site must be up and running 7/24. That requires a combination of monitoring, prevention and corrective action.