This is an interesting shift seemingly driven by the idea that older adults desire a way to stay in touch with their adult children and grandchildren.  The San Jose Mercury News has an insightful analysis of the Pew report which should certainly be on the radar of those marketers seeking to reach this audience.

A Web site project should be no different, but it often is.  Many Web site managers and committees are more interested in starting the production process than they are in conceptualizing it.  It may be that the visual nature of the Web encourages premature emphasis on design–the idea of “looking good” undermines the notion of “doing well.”  Or, perhaps, some tend to avoid creating, refining, and documenting measurable goals and objectives because it introduces accountability later:  if there’s no standard of success, there is no way to fail.

Whatever the case, it is important that goals, objectives, and metrics are emphasized at the outset of a project. In order for organizations to succeed using the Web, they must clearly define success itself.  They must clearly and closely connect the organization’s Web activities with that of the organization as a whole.   The process for doing so, a simple 3-part exercise, is fairly straight-forward.

A Web project should begin with a review of the company’s overall business plan, goals, and objectives.  It is advisable that the group concentrates on those objectives, irrespective of the Web site, that the organization is seeking to achieve.  Next, within a document (research tells us that those who write goals down stand a greater chance of success), a Web committee should identify those organizational goals that the Web project will seek to support.  Consider restating the goal for the purpose of the Web project.  For example, if the organization’s goal is to increase market share by 5%, re-purpose the goal for the Web that states the portion of that growth that you hope to achieve online.

Three Steps to Identifying Key Web Site Metrics

Once the organizational objectives are identified and the Web site goals are clarified, the third step is to determine what means will be used to quantify/measure these goals.  These distinctive, specific areas are referred to as Web site outcomes.  Web site outcomes are distinguishable Web site behaviors that can be objectively quantified using Web site analytics, inbound telephone call tracking, and Web site form submissions among others.  An online retailer, for example, may measure the number of Web products sold in a given period.  A professional services marketer, on the other hand, might track the number of position papers that are downloaded by prospects.

Once this three-step process has been completed by stakeholders, all of the information should be compiled in a simple Web site performance scorecard.  Developing a straight-forward document of this nature can be an effective tool in memorializing the process and key metrics and keeping track of progress as time goes on.

Producing a document that outlines your goal(s) for a Web project is an important step in pursuing success because it focuses attention on defining success itself.  Completing this process should set Web site projects on a course toward meaningful impact on the organization’s development.    This methodology’s Web site deliverables should not only look attractive, but perform effectively as well.

This framework should be particularly useful to professional services firms that wish to identify areas of site performance that are less tangible than those of Web sites that focus on ecommerce transactions, for example.  Some examples are provided to help you get started.  It may take you some time to get started with this tool; the process of establishing Web site goals and identifying correlating Web site outcomes can be an exercise in and of itself.

Web Site Performance Scorecard

Web site marketers can borrow the same concept and use it to organize content across their organizations.  A Web site content calendar can be organized in whatever fashion you wish.  It can also evolve throughout the year as new ideas and topics emerge.  It is important to craft it in such a way that everyone on the team has a general idea of topics, roles, and schedules.  It is certainly advisable, especially at the outset, to keep it as simple as possible. The table below is a simple representation of how an accounting and audit firm might approach content creation in a given fiscal year:

Sample Web Site Content Calendar for XYZ Accounting Firm

While the format can be much simpler or complex, this one should give you a place to start.  The key components are as follows:

• Roles & Responsibilities – This allows you to establish a formal breakdown of which members of the organization will create, coordinate, and/or authorize content.  Documenting this structure will help to establish a division of labor as well as clear understanding of accountability.
• Editorial Style – Establishing your target audience and editorial tone will help to create a common understanding of writing style and readership.  Without this, your content may stray in terms of focus or language.  Whether you want your Web content to be humorous, professional, or casual, it’s important to be consistent.
• General Topic – Establishes a general direction for that period’s content.  Naturally, this should be coordinated with the seasonal concerns of your target audience.
• Article & Writer – Shows the planned article titles and authors.

You can explore a wealth of other attributes to add to this calendar.  Simply having one, though, can be a great first step toward injecting your company’s expertise into your Web site. A calendar like this can be created very efficiently amongst team members.  Like many other company challenges, involving the participants in the planning process may help to attain overall project consensus.

Content plays many important roles within a Web site. It informs users about your organization (who you are and what you do), keeps them updated on key happenings (i.e. we just launched a new service or opened a new office), and helps them interpret the world around them through your eyes (i.e. how trends and best practices in your industry will impact them).  Content also helps to promote your expertise, an important element of your company’s differentiation.  And the more you change and develop site content, the more attractive it is to users, search engines, and the online community at large.

With all of these positives attributes, many Web site owners pay little attention to this area.  While most get very excited about photography, design ideas, and navigation,  many actually bristle at the idea of generating original content. People fumble the idea of who in the organization will generate content, how often, and when.  This critical task is seen as a chore and pushed to the side, often to the detriment of the site.  In the end, the content becomes both king and master.

It does not have to be this way.  Content–and the process by which it is created–can be a very constructive, engaging experience in which many benefits arise.  Here are a few of the positive benefits of creating content:

• helps to crystallize and develop the thinking of the organization
• helps to highlight interesting and insightful thoughts across the enterprise
• actually encourages those in the organization to do interesting or noteworthy things to be the subject of content
• finished content pieces help the organization to learn and share specific ideas with prospects or clients
• encourages collaboration and idea development among team members who might be working together on a piece of content

Understanding the many hidden benefits of content creation–other than the notion that it will improve the Web site–can be critical in terms of developing a better institutional “attitude” about the task.  If it is seen as an opportunity (rather than a chore), the idea of mastering content becomes very achievable.

Once the attitude about content changes, some stumble when it comes to what should be the subject of content pieces.  “What should I write about?” they ask themselves.  Naturally, this will vary by industry and your field, but here are some good places to start:

• New technology developments in your industry
• Legislative or ethical changes concerning your work or that of your customers
• Research or technical discoveries in your field
• Highlighted case studies showing best practices at work
• Company news that is interesting / informative to your buyers
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Thought pieces that address common mistakes you see customers making
• Highlights of major pitfalls for customers
• Checklists, forms, and document downloads that your customers can use
• Highlights of recent speeches or remarks where your employees have appeared

As a general rule, remember to be as objective and instructive as possible when you are writing.  While it may be natural to write about products or services you sell, your content will be more credible if you do not overtly advertise your offerings in the midst of an educational or informative topic.  Also, when possible, use relevant photography or informative diagrams/figures to complement your writing.   Your readers will enjoy them.

The most common stumbling block to creating Web site content, though, is not knowing what to write about.  The area where most get hung up is in the area of creating time to do so and managing the division of labor.  It will typically fall on one person to be responsible for the content and that can end in a lack of content altogether.  To make the content endeavor effective and consistent, here is a handful of tips to consider:

• Create a forward-looking messaging calendar to lay out general topics and content ideas for the next 6-12 months.  This can be developed and amended over time.
• Divide content creation among multiple people in the organization; if multiple people share the responsibility, no one should be overwhelmed.
• Appoint one person to manage the schedule and/or to edit and publish content once it is submitted by others.
• Share content “victories” with the team when they happen (i.e. “I just had a client tell me that she found a recent content piece helpful in her work”)
• Start small.  Biting off more than you can chew can leave an organization feeling unsuccessful about content creation.

Content creation is a big deal when it comes to the success of your Web site, a thought that most agree on.  What is less obvious is how to be successful at it.  With a little planning, organization and an adjusted attitude on the matter, there is no reason that any organization can not master this important area.

Thankfully, however, captchas are coming along a bit.  We came across the following example in a form recently and thought we would share it.  It definitely makes the idea of deciphering characters a bit less painful!

That expectation is not a stretch for those Web sites that sell “widgets”–commodity products like books, air conditioner filters, and office supplies.  And the performance of those sites can be measured fairly easily by tracking volume and growth of both units sold and/or revenue.  But the idea of expectations and measurement become more difficult when the product or service is more complex and/or when customers are less comfortable buying it online.

Many companies have a more complex offering that those that simply require a user to enter a credit card number and click ‘order.’  These include professional services firms like architecture and accounting firms, risk management consultants, executive recruiters, and law firms.  Most Web surfers wouldn’t commission an architecture project on a Web site any more than they would hire an attorney out of a catalog.  These buying decisions and processes are far more complex than buying a bestseller online–they require multiple meetings, personal trust,  thorough research, and a lengthy estimating process.

While these transactions can’t be expected to occur online, there are many other ways that the Web site should be able to help.  Just because someone will not buy your product online does not mean that a marketer should have no expectations at all.  So while a professional services marketer may dismiss Internet marketing because money does not show up online, there are many valuable expectations that s/he might have.  In these cases, marketers should expect that the Web site would:

• Generate new leads online by allowing clients to fill out online contact forms to start the selling process.
• Help prospects qualify your firm by presenting the size, stature, and heritage of the firm.
• Familiarize prospects with a firm’s key personnel by profiling the firm’s leadership, qualifications, and community involvement.
• Present firm’s capabilities by thoroughly describing products and services.
• Portray accurate picture of the firm’s experience and by listing prominent clients and longevity.
• Stimulate a buyer’s thinking buy describing the firm’s representative engagements from the past.
• Drive referrals with simple tools which allow and encourage current customers to refer the firm to others.
• Position firm as an expert by offering valuable, unbiased business content to your audience written in language that minimizes jargon.
• Capture tomorrow’s buyer’s today by inviting them to subscribe to your email newsletter or to join your social networks.
• Serves as a sales tool for a firm’s personnel to reference in both in-person meetings, conference calls, and email exchanges.
• Facilitates viral referrals through your company’s Twitter or Facebook Fan Page.

There are certainly many more things that you might expect your site to produce for your firm.  While this is merely a general list, your particular industry may present many additional opportunities.  Spending a few minutes with your business development team may yield further ideas and even more expectations.  Please also keep in mind that while this list focuses mostly on business development, there are many other areas (i.e. recruiting) of operation where you might develop tangible expectations.

As important as this question is, in many cases it is addressed only casually.  In planning discussions, the question tends to be glossed over and the answer only given broadly to get to the next.  Typical answers include things like “mostly male and some female,” “younger people,” or “anyone over 18.”  There are exceptions, certainly, but many project managers don’t truly put in the time to really uncover the nature of the very audience that they serve.  Generally characterizing your audience in 30 seconds isn’t really defining your audience.

It takes time, it takes resources, and it’s not the most exciting thing to do (most project managers are anxious to see some new design ideas).  But investing in really defining the audience will not only enhance the effectiveness of the end product, it will really support the production process itself in a variety of facets.

So let’s take a look at how an audience should really be defined.  For starters, there is no universal formula for defining a Web site audience.  Consider that the best talk show interviewers are known not for simply running through a list of pre-written questions with a guest, but instead letting the nature of the guest’s responses dictate the flow of subsequent questions.  A successful interview is a thoughtful, probing exchange–not a lock-step process.  Exploring the nature of your Web site’s audience should be no different:  deep, exploritative, and intuitive.

You have to start somewhere, of course, so here are a few high-level discussion questions for a project team:

• What is the age, sex, cultural affiliation, and socio-economic status of our potential users?
• Will the majority of your users be using a high speed connection?
• What time of day are our users most likely to use our site?
• Might our users be conducting other activities (i.e. watching TV, between work assignments, etc.) before, during, or after using our Web site?
• If a user had to answer candidly, what is it that they really and truly want out of our Web presence?
• How often might a user interact with our site in a given day, week, or year?
• What process will our site play in this person’s decision to become or stay a customer?
• What other sites might our visitors use in addition to ours in formulating an opinion, taking a next step, or conducting a transaction?

Once you’ve run through a handful of high-level questions, the next step is to generate some more probing questions based upon the responses you come up with.  If you reason that your site will likely be used in short bursts during business hours, the group might formulate a question regarding the most critical 3 or 4 pieces of information that you should communicate.  Likewise, if you determine that your visitors really want to know what your current rate structure is without having to pick up the phone or want to see a picture of your office’s interior, then let that dictate your thinking.  Although these items may seem insignificant when first discussed, they cut to the core of what your site ought to be.

For many sites, an in-depth discussion will be enough.  Many organizations know the needs and wants of their customers quite well.  In other cases, you might consider surveying your users using a simple Web form or even a telephone survey.  Questions can be subjective, objective, or both.

In the end, you should set an internal goal of really defining your audience and its needs.  You may even elect to develop a one page user profile that really reflects the nature of your typical user and his/her needs.  Have fun with it.

If you ask most people–especially marketers–about good Web sites, they’ll usually tell you about sites they consider to be good.  They may, from a different angle, be prepared to talk through the different virtues of Web sites that they tend to like based upon its strategic model.  Fashionistas might love GILT because of its unique approach to selling luxury goods at big-box discounts.  Sports fans might point to ESPN.com as a “good” Web site because it always has up-to-the-minute content.  Movie lovers might hold up Rotten Tomatoes as a good Web site because of its inventive approach to aggregating movie reviews.

There are other examples of what defines good which can be more abstract–judging or grading a Web site based upon its aesthetic appeal.  For example, some use terms like “clean,” “professional,” or “interactive” to explain why they like a particular site.

Defining a Web site in these terms can be somewhat dangerous because they are subjective in nature.  And as a marketer starts imposing these personal preferences upon a Web site project, s/he runs the risk of missing the mark.  What is “clean” to one person might be “cluttered” to another.  And who is to say that a Web site that someone likes because it is “clean” should be modeled in another Web site project where perhaps that approach is not optimal.

Whatever the case, everyone has a different view of what is good.  And the good is usually based upon personal preference.  People confuse what is “good” with what they “like.”  And that can be dangerous.  Why?  Because one person’s personal Web site preference might not be appropriate or suitable for other target markets.

The Craigslist Web site is a very successful site, but not one that most people point to as an example of good design.

One interesting example is Craigslist.  It is widely known as a very successful, heavily used, and widely-regarded Web site.  But its design is not one that most marketers would embrace.  Wired Magazine even published a recent feature where it suggested that the site needed an “extreme makeover.”  So does that mean that the site is not “good” because it doesn’t have the design most of us would choose for ourselves?  Certainly not.

So let’s define the word ‘good’ as it relates to Web sites.  And to do so, let’s abandon aesthetics and functionality because they are fairly subjective.  We can’t all agree on these areas and they are difficult to both articulate and measure.  To define “good” in a good Web site, the following definition is appropriate:

A good Web site is one which accomplishes the purposes for which it was intended.

Embracing this definition forces a marketer’s hand.  It challenges the marketer to define a Web site’s purposes first–design and functional considerations should come only later.

Along the way, specificity and measurability play key roles.  It is a best practice to identify specific outcomes that you would like to see (i.e. we would like to increase subscriptions to our email newsletter) and to measure activity and progress.  Without this type of approach, one can’t really verify whether a purpose is being accomplished.

So as you think about your current Web site or if you are contemplating a new Web site project, experiment with this definition of good.  It will likely challenge your thinking and help to clarify what is really important.  In the end, a Web site that simply looks exactly what you’d like it to may not be very good at all.