Tool Box
Issue No. 29 - June/July 2006
Is it time for a website rethink?
by Dr David Corkindale and Dr David Corkindale
At the height of the first wave of enthusiasm for using the Web for business, around the turn of the century, I remember Gerry Harvey of Harvey Norman being interviewed on Channel Nine’s Business Sunday week after week because he was not a believer that it would ‘change the world of business as we know it.’
Harvey was warned that his business was about to be eclipsed by a new business model.
As we know, that didn’t happen and, in fact, Harvey’s business model for running several franchises under one roof and one name has been very successful.
Like Harvey Norman, most companies do have a website but possibly out of a feeling of obligation — to keep up with competition.
But if a website can’t justify its existence by being an extra sales channel, why bother to invest in it? Perhaps it’s time to revisit how well your website is serving its purpose — and consider whether those purposes have changed.
Dell is said to sell $50million worth of computer goods every 24 hours through its website. Many businesses flourish through the trade they do on eBay, let alone all the private sales that happen.
The big media players have been buying up successful websites and their clientele and seem to have signalled that the Web is now a serious commercial medium.
With all this going on one would expect that all marketers would be seeking to exploit this opportunity to the full. If gaining and keeping customers is increasingly difficult in a commoditised world, using the Web could be the opportunity to gain and develop those durable relationships that help drive sales into the future.
Stan Rapp, a well-known and well-travelled direct marketing expert, claims that many marketers are failing to ensure that their companies’ websites are doing a proper job1.
He says the following shortcomings are common to many websites, which lack:
- Clarity
- Customised rel...
