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i-way newsletter

September 2003

Your Customers Own Your Web Site!

Last issue we discussed your web site as your business partner - helping you productively and efficiently in your business operations and strategies.

Meeting with a client to discuss this, he described a web site where he tried, but failed, to find important information.

We looked at this web site, and agreed that the organisation wasn't giving customers what they wanted.

There are many web sites that show a similar failure to understand customers: what they want, and how they want to use the web site. You've seen them too!

Government organisations have often shown this attitude, with web sites set up like the organisation's structure. How many of us understand bureaucracy at work? We're only interested in finding a regulation, applying for a licence, or whatever - just about impossible with this type of web site! Fortunately, government has started to learn about delivery of customer services.

Now, to do this requires a thorough understanding of what your customers want, their attitudes and behaviour. And how to respond to these with a customer-centric web site.

One commentator recently suggested that 'the customer owns the web site, not you'.

It's how the customer sees the world that's important. Think like your customers.

And this is more important online: other suppliers are only a mouse click away!

 

Some Pointers

Talk to your customers about what they would like on your web site. What do your main customers want? What attracted new customers? And what don't they like!
Use the same language as customers. Avoid jargon, and technical or specialist terms - or add a Glossary to your web site - now that's customer service!
If you export, avoid Oz Slang, and find out, and use, the language your regional customers use.
Structure your web site pages and navigation so that customers can easily find what they are looking for, and the information is concise and useful.
 

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