by Teri Robnett
(published in Brainstorm!, January 2004)

Start the year off with a little pizzazz
When it comes to web sites, functionality is as important as personality. Form must follow function. No matter how good your site looks, if people can't access the information you have available, you will definitely miss out on valuable traffic.

Provide an 'interactive experience' for your customer

• Allow people to personalize their web experience with information they prefer.
• Animate or vary some text or pictures for emphasis and interest.
• Offer Online Shopping capabilities with current pricing and inventory.
• Create a section of your site with information for members only.
• Allow your visitors to participate in online polls, surveys, contests or bulletin boards.
• Include search tools to make it easy for visitors to find what they need.
• Show real-time information or news.
• Provide custom tools for the visitor.
• Make your site stand out!

Create an "easy to maintain" site for you
Enhancing the functionality of your site can make your life easier too by simplifying maintaining and updating so that information stays fresh and current.

• Utilize Content Management Tools with a database to easily make changes through your browser.
• Automatically perform functions such as removing special offers or coupons after expiration.
• Collect data from your visitors.
• Include a section of frequently asked questions you can easily keep up-to-date.
• Create online forms such as employment or inventory inquiries that are automatically sent to your e-mail box.

Get a lot more than what you see
Designing a web site is different from creating a document or a brochure. What you see isn't only that you get. Each and every web page has code running in the background to make it look and function the way you want. Here are thing to consider before you build your web site:

• Talk to a web programmer as well as a web designer about your site. Although the terminology seems similar, these people perform very different functions. The programmer makes sure that everything works with the design and layout of your web page.
• Ask the programmer to create a system that allows you to make changes (in the database) so they show up on your web page.
• Make sure the programmer has future development and expansion of your web site in mind. The more dynamic the programmer can build it now, the less you will have to pay to add more functionality to your web site later.

Recently, websites have started to take on more active rolls in companies. They have been utilized for everything from client management and customer service to billing and accounting. The functionality of a website is becoming much more important. Your website may even allow your business to save time and valuable staff resources or to more easily communicate between management and outside sales representatives. So with all these options to consider, make sure your site does exactly what you, and your customers, want it to.

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