How the Web is Different
The firms should conduct market research to see what potential visitors might want to obtain from these Web sites and even consider what business infrastructure adjustments would be needed to service the site.
For example, the firms should have an e-mail address link on their sites. Those firms that did include an e-mail link often should have sufficient, responsible workers for answering visitors' e-mail messages. Understanding how the Web is different from other presence-building media is one reason that so many businesses succeed their Web objectives.
Most Web sites that are designed to create an organization's presence in the Web medium include links to a fairly standard information set. The site should give the visitor easy access to a history, statement of objectives or mission statement, information about products or services, financial information, and a way to communicate with the organization. Sites achieve varying levels of success based largely on how they offer this information. Presentation is important, but so is realizing that the Web is an interactive medium.
Web designers and consultants should take firms to task for their inspired use of the Web's interactive nature. For instance, large corporations should encourage their employees to engage in unrestricted online dialog with the firm's customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. This dialog would be in the spirit of the Internet and would help companies create more honest and real personalities as part of their Web presences. Firms should generate a discussion session on the Web presence. This can let visitors have a chance to "sign" electronically to the site and leave comments on the Web.
Therefore, large firms must acknowledge and use the Web's capability for two-way, meaningful communication with their customers. The use of this communication process is very essential for companies to communicate effectively through this channel and keep more customers eager to come visit the Web frequently compared with their competitors.
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