WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES phần 5 ppsx

Summary Your company’s About section is going to be a high-traffic area. People care about the lit- tle details like corporate charity and quarterly earnings, and the power of well-designed information cannot be understated. Take advantage of the medium and build a rich envi- ronment for your visitors. Well-organized press release pages, detailed investor relations, and a premium contact form will go a long way in building the company’s name as a rep- utable contender. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 142 8393CH06.qxd 8/2/07 2:05 PM Page 142 7 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 145 Companies are not started with the goal of doing nothing. Every business, from the smallest mom-and-pop bookstore at the end of the street to the international goliaths like Ford, Microsoft, and IBM, start with an idea good enough to support a profitable opera- tion, and continue to work to develop new ideas that keep them in the black. Some businesses, like niche auto part manufacturers, produce small, physical widgets with obscure part numbers that drive bigger machines. Another company assembles those small parts and sells the final, shiny product to the public. The corporate office of the sec- ond company uses complex software applications developed by a third company to keep their office workers grounded to their computers between lunch breaks. A fourth corpo- ration “makes” nothing, but consults about the expensive applications the corporate office uses and produces complex workflow and productivity diagrams to justify their fees. A fifth company—a legal firm—sells their intellectual prowess, and enjoys healthy profits simply for being clever. At the end of the day, every business does something. Up to this point, we have covered several very important aspects of a corporate website, from content and accessibility to navigation structures and the ever-important homepage. All of these, and all of the chapters following, serve to bolster the indispensable part of the website where the company expounds on what they actually do. The content and design of this section is vital. It will be consumed by almost every visitor. For newbies, one of the first questions they ask when arriving on your site is, “OK, this is a nice looking site, but what exactly does this company do?” By contrast, a long-term customer will think, “OK, been here before, but let’s go see what’s new in the products/services section.” It becomes a common destination, and must straddle several layers of messaging to accommodate the audience range. This chapter covers best practices in both product and service descriptions. Products are admittedly more complex, and often involve photography, specifications, supporting doc- umentation, and more. Services require eloquent content, but are more grounded in one-on-one contact to make a sale. The chapter will explore the differences and the nuances of optimizing a site for either one. Do you do products or services? Almost by definition, your business is going to offer services, products, or both. Distinguishing between the two is vitally important, just as the selling points for each need to be unique. Let’s discuss the finer points of distinction. Products Products are tangible and usually physical things that are sold at a fixed rate. Put this book down, look around, and you will see 100 objects manufactured, distributed, and sold by 100 different companies. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 146 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 146 For instance, a company called Old Skool Lites might manufacture replica lamps based off antique designs. Its website would profile these different models and most likely contain an online catalog describing each in detail, or at least a link to a PDF version of the cata- log. It is strictly a product-based company. By contrast, another company called Speedy App develops and sells OEM software that powers onboard car computers. Its website would contain fewer pictures with more of an emphasis on specifications and integration capabilities. Any type of asset, whether it be physical like a lamp or intellectual like software, can be construed as an item for consumption. There are three key traits for anything labeled a product: 1. It’s something the buyer can physically use—a lamp, a wheelbarrow, a software program, web hosting services, a chartered plane ticket to the Bahamas. 2. It’s not unique. Anyone can buy one. If it involves custom planning, work, or exe- cution, it falls into the service category, as we’ll explore shortly. If it requires custom planning and then physical execution (like a mural painter), it is a hybrid. 3. The company making it usually refers to its patrons as customers, not clients. A product can be used once or 1,000 times, last 10 seconds or 100 years, be the size of a city block or as insubstantial as ones and zeros on a hard drive. Services Services are anything that is customized for the buyer. While certainly not required, they are usually intellectual in nature. In our lamp example, Old Skool Lites is going to actually produce the lamp—it is a physical shop that cuts wood, shapes metal, conducts electrical work, and packages the final product. However, Old Skool Lites works with another com- pany called Distro Dudes that collects the store-ready merchandise from the lamp maker and distributes it across the country. Distro Dudes is a service-based company. It doesn’t actually make anything; it works with original manufacturers to ship products all over the country, designing custom distribution schedules and pricing scales on a per-customer basis. Most service-based businesses are fairly easy to spot—their pricing and final deliverable is almost always tailored for the client and the project. Here are some examples: A legal firm always customizes its deliverable. It may range from 2 hours fighting a speeding ticket to a 4-year corporate legal battle costing millions of dollars. No two clients ever have the same service, and no two will ever pay the same amount because the work is tailored on a case-by-case basis and billed by the hour. A medical staffing company uses their industry expertise, people skills, and unique list of contacts to get hospitals, outpatient centers, and other healthcare facilities staffed with the best workers available. Every client is treated individually, with their staffing holes being matched with specific skill sets of industry professionals. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 147 7 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 147 An advertising agency uses a unique set of talents and industry knowledge to pro- duce advertising campaigns for every client. While the writing, graphic design, and art direction culminates in physical products—billboards, TV commercials, maga- zine ads—the client is always delivered a collection of creative work that is wholly unique. On a website, major service-based companies cannot sell their offerings through a shop- ping cart. As you can see with Rapid Power Management’s website in Figure 7-1, services can be described at length and reinforced with miles of testimonials, but until the com- pany offers a customized proposal and a contract is agreed to and signed, no money moves between bank accounts. Figure 7-1. Rapid Power Management offers consulting services to companies looking to reduce their power bills. Its services are described at length, but cannot be purchased through its website. Products and services Companies do not always produce just products or offer only services. Many do both. To conclude our example, our lamp-maker Old Skool Lites produces antique replica lighting, but employs Distro Dudes, a service-based distribution company, to handle the logistics of getting their products into the marketplace. One store that buys these lamps is Ted’s Antiques, an outlet that carries both authentic antique furniture as well as replica pieces such as those made from Old Skool Lites. Ted’s Antiques is a bit unique in the area, because it not only sells period pieces, but offers restoration services with a specialization in custom woodworking and wrought iron. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 148 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 148 Its website, like many other similar businesses, would have both a products and services section. These parallel sections might or might not be related. Oracle, for instance, not only offers enterprise-grade databases, but considerable, closely aligned consulting serv- ices to support client installations. Another technology company, IBM, carries a line of consumer computer equipment, but also offers a completely unrelated line of consulting services to corporations. Unless the two are completely entwined, each section needs to be handled independently. Many sites opt for a “products and services” section, which, more often than not, is a mis- nomer. For instance, consider an artist who blows custom glass sculptures. He might have a few pieces available for purchase from his website, which might even be obtainable through a shopping cart system, but his primary business is creating exclusive installations for corporate campuses. He is certainly not going to mix these up on the website under a tab labeled Products and Services—they will be clearly segregated. One of the best ways to avoid confusion regarding products and services is to employ accurate and relevant naming of sections on the website. We’ll get deeper into that idea further on in the chapter. Finding the section Like other major sections, the Products and Services sections have to be readily accessible from the main menu. In fact, they should be readily accessible from anywhere it makes sense. If you’ve spent time talking about your company in the About section, link to these pages for more information; if you have a corporate blog, link to these pages constantly; on the homepage, linking the overview to the more detailed description is a no-brainer. Users should find their way to this content without thinking. The architecture of the section is dependent on how complex the products or services are. As a general rule, product pages are longer, and comprehensive product sections can be architecturally deep to ensure each widget, fondoodle, and hoodiggery is appropriately represented. The design of the section’s structure is completely dependent on two things: 1. How many things the company sells 2. How much time the company wants to invest in the online version of its product catalog Many companies offer feature-rich shopping carts to support 500,000 objects; others might only sell three things but offer the reader nothing more than a downloadable PDF order form and an address for sending the check. This functionality is dependent on several things, including the technical limitations of the staff, the established budget for the project, and whether the traffic demands the investment. Services pages are usually less complex; more often than not, there is simply less to talk about because few services can be sold without personal interaction between business and client. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 149 7 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 149 Section naming Up to this point, we’ve been referring to these sections as Products or Services, because, by definition, that’s what they are—you sell a product, a service, or both. “Products” and “services” are commonly accepted terms in the online world; when people click those words in the main menu, they generally know what they are getting themselves into. However, for some companies, the nomenclature is just too vague. Unlike “home” or “about,” which are entrenched as medium standards and have a common meaning, it’s better to offer readers a more descriptive section title when it comes to what the com- pany actually does. In our glassblower example, we discussed how the artist’s primary business was custom installations, but he also sold a few pieces through his website. This artist would probably not want to use the terms “products” and “services” in the navigation. Instead, it would provide additional context if more relevant titles were chosen, like Sculptures for Sale and Custom Installations. In our other example, Ted’s Antiques might have a section on its site called Furniture in Stock and another called Restoration Services. Both succinctly encapsu- late what the user will find if the button is clicked. Equally important is to avoid words that are different but equally ambiguous. “Solutions” might be the worst offender; it smacks of fancy new-age business speak, but in fact means even less than “products” or “services” because it could really be either one. Designing the Products and Services pages Websites have become the go-to medium for casual information gathering. Google, Wikipedia, Technorati, and other massive information harvesters offer the world near- infinite information at near-instant speeds. When people hear about a company, they type in the URL. Because of this, providing as much information about the business and its offerings is a critical ingredient in successful websites and marketing in general—when content is available, people will consume it. Few sections benefit more from building content than the products or services. Not only does it inform the audience, which is very likely the customer base, but it presents an ideal marketing platform and selling opportunity. If people are already on your site, why not push them into action? The Products and Services pages should be built with a selling path in mind. A selling path is an easily followed, short series of actions that leads people to initiate the sales process. Ideally, this should be three tangible steps: 1. Landing page: People will find the products or services landing page, be enamored with all the wondrous things the company manufactures, sells, or consults about, and click on an item for deeper exploration. 2. Individual description: Prospects will find themselves on a singular page that describes in no uncertain detail all of the salient selling points of the product or service. This page guides them toward the final stage of the selling path: the sales process. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 150 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 150 3. Acquisition: After readers consume everything about the product or service that catches their eye, they will effortlessly find themselves on a page that (politely) asks them to finish what they started, either by making a purchase or becoming a qual- ified lead by making contact with the company. In Chapter 4, we explored the concept of goal conversion. The selling path is the second half of this; it captures a user’s attention midway through the conversion process and acts as the catalyst for achieving the goal (see Figure 7-2). Because of this, this three-step sell- ing path should be nearly thoughtless for the user—they should find themselves moving down the conversion funnel with about as much resistance as a greased bowling ball encounters rolling across ice. Streamlining this process is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, it requires careful design and copywriting, explored in the next section. Figure 7-2. The selling path starts midway through the goal conversion. Product page design A company whose primary line of business is selling tangible products will find its catalog of items falling into three fairly distinct categories: 1. Products that can be sold on the Web: Just about anything that can be shipped and delivered cost-effectively can be sold via an online shopping cart, from fruit baskets to furniture to cars. These products do not need the help of a sales force. Customers can make a purchase online without interacting with the company. 2. Products that could be sold via the Web but are not: Many corporate websites describe products that could feasibly be sold online but are not because the com- pany chooses to distribute them in other ways. Many food manufacturers do not sell their products online because they have exclusive distribution deals with grocery stores and other retail outlets. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 151 7 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 151 3. Products that cannot realistically be sold through a shopping cart: These products simply can’t be delivered without a huge expense (such as a luxury fishing boat) or without intense customization (enterprise-grade software). While they are still tangible things, the last two types of products have to be treated like services because either the customer has to seek out the product beyond the Web, or the customer and vendor have to engage in a human interaction for the sale to be made. As with services, a website can only go so far in marketing and selling these types of products, which is why this section will focus on the first category, or those that are sold over the Internet. When designing and writing web pages for these products, you should always make the selling path prominent, because it leads customers right to the online store where they can make a purchase. It doesn’t have to overwhelm the reader—half-page, seizure- inducing billboards are probably overkill—but it always has to be brainlessly accessible. The product landing page Most users who go through the trouble of finding a particular company are likely going to click on the Products link in the main menu. They should be rewarded with a landing page that focuses on actual product offerings, and doesn’t display large, Flash-based introduc- tory animations, wander down tangents talking about company history, or do anything else that detracts from the carefully crafted sales message. In other words, do not deviate from the selling path. Take advantage of the space on the landing page to promote the benefits and high-level selling points of the products. Leaving the good sales copy and design elements to individ- ual product pages is self-defeating—that golden content can help drive customers deeper into your site. For instance, Figure 7-3 shows a product landing page for M-Audio, a com- pany that manufacturers professional audio equipment. Notice the casual sales copy and compelling photograph at the top of the page, plus the crisp photographs and brief prod- uct highlights that help funnel users toward the product in which they are most interested. Imagine if the product landing page were the only web page visitors could read about the products. You would want to provide them with comprehensive subject matter, creating an almost portal-like environment where they can learn everything they need to know without hopping all over your corporate domain. This focuses visitors into the selling path. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 152 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 152 Figure 7-3. The product landing page for M-Audio uses simple copy and a clean design to help users find the product most closely matching their interests. To accomplish this, there are several key pieces of content that should appear in a product listing. Depending on the complexity of a company’s offerings, some of these might be more feasible than others, but all will add value to the customer experience: Retain a specific description of the displayed product line: If a page describes only one product line, ensure that the content discusses what is being shown on the page, not the greater family of products. Include a product-specific search feature: If the catalog is deep or old, or contains many variations of pieces, it will help users find the perfect product faster if you give them a dedicated search feature where they can query model numbers, dimensions, keywords, and more. Traversing even the most elegantly designed hier- archy is slower than the type-click-find speed of a search engine. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 153 7 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 153 [...]... service landing page needs to be sexy and marketing- savvy, and not just list the services, but provide an introduction that generates interest in the reader even before they commit a click 159 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 160 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES Like product pages, individual service pages should have a thorough description, supporting information, and as many... 166 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES In the age of marketing, where every surface is a billboard and convoluted language pollutes the marketplace, there are few areas where customers and clients can find respite from the brand impression tidal wave The public has developed a disinterest in traditional marketing brochures are treated as little more than political pamphlets, websites. .. an image to bring up another screen with even bigger images and more detail.) 155 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 156 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES At a minimum, users should see a thumbnail of the product This does not have to be elaborate To avoid forcing users to squint, make sure that the image is at least 150 pixels wide Providing a larger image when the thumbnail is... information as well as a contact form and a large call-to-action button 161 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 162 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES Unique selling story Whether you have a product, service, or both, there is almost always something that makes you unique, some part of your sales story that sets you apart from your competition, and gives you a leverage point when marketing. .. 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 158 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 2 Lightbox JS is a JavaScript-powered slideshow tool that is free and very easy to use Images on an HTML page are given a common rel attribute, and when clicked, load a semitransparent window that flips through the different pictures Version 2 is available as of this writing and is available from www.huddletogether.com/... or service in context When a visitor lands on a product page, they should be able to view everything related to that offering, including stories of success from real customers 169 8393CH08.qxd 8/2/07 2:44 PM Page 170 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES Figure 8-2 A well-designed and well-written technical support section becomes more enticing for the reader with the inclusion of... PM Page 172 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES Figure 8-3 Many companies organize their case studies by category Contact the customer Once the wish list of customer case studies is compiled, it’s a matter of contacting the customers and asking if they would like to become part of your marketing efforts Believe it or not, many are happy to help Since so many different businesses... place for instance, whether a link back to the original review is required, the word count allowed for excerpts, whether a logo of the publication is allowed (or required) to supplement the review, and much more As a general rule of thumb, avoid republishing reviews in full whether these guidelines exist or not 1 75 8393CH08.qxd 8/2/07 2:44 PM Page 176 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES. .. Page 178 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES Brand protection happens all the time For instance, a salesperson was once giving a presentation at a trade show, and one of his slides included a logo blitzkrieg that happened to include the prominent mark of a large but very sensitive insurance company A public relations representative from that company was in the audience, and afterward,... press releases, for instance, were covered in Chapter 6, but if you have a lot of customer-centric ones, it may be important to give that category of press releases its own home on the website Similarly, case studies are also significant enough to demand their own real estate within your domain 167 8393CH08.qxd 8/2/07 2:44 PM Page 168 WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES The name . selling path. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 152 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 152 Figure 7-3. The product landing page for M-Audio uses simple copy and a clean design to. be, and no more. As long as the text follows best practices in writing for the Web, people will consume what they want before making a decision. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 154 8393CH07.qxd. competition, and is most prevalent in traditional advertising. WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES 162 8393CH07.qxd 8/2/07 2:11 PM Page 162 Figure 7-8. Many websites for microbreweries