-----Original Message----- From: Joseph Harris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 10:35 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: RE:[wdvltalk] what makes a web or blog succeed?
> but that wasn't the question, the question was WHAT makes a web site successful > > and that's content > > ;o) > If that was the question I would be less vigourous in arguing the matter. But the original question was: 'What ONE key ingredient makes a web or blog successful?' (cut and pasted) And while you can posit that content is essential to a web site (and I won't argue with that), and that the better the content the better the chances of success; at the same time content - or any other contributor to a website - is not the *ONE* key ingredient for success. There isn't one ingredient that ensures success - if there were the person who discovers it can sell the secret for a high price. As explained by Steven the further point was that a potential client had posed the question. As such I know it to be a deliberate trick question. In fact the later explanation from steven brought this : what one key ingredient do all successful web sites or blog sites have in common?" If that means a thing that *unsuccessful* websites do *not* have then the answer cannot be content, because all websites have content. It cannot be 'good' content because some unsuccessful sites have good content ( and some successful sites may well not have good content). But again there is a need to be clear what 'success' means. Even in preliminary discussions with clients there is an element of the contract; if you promise the moon the client is entitled to seek redress if you don't deliver. For that reason, if for no other, the terminology must be clear. What are the objects of the site against which to measure success? And why should websites have single-ingredient certainties when no other business or endeavour in life does? Listen, here I am, a poet, telling a technical expert to be precise. (But then one of my other lives was on financial papers). The chances of success are improved by following a check list of good practice, of course. And the result should be a quality site to be proud of. But not one of us can guarantee that that site will be successful, and that is what Steven is being asked to guarantee (in my humble opinion). Joseph. ============================================================= While I agree fully with rudy, I'll add this for Joseph's sake: Content appropriate to an audience. It doesn't matter what audience, although it's nice if it's the one you intended, but it does need to be an audience. Google gets it's audience because it delivers search results that audience wants. Kanoodle gets its audience for the same reason -- it delivers the results that audience wants. Similarly the most commercially successful sites on the net, adult sites, deliver the content their audience wants -- sexually related material. And likewise, church sites deliver what their audience wants. Again, rudy is correct that appearance doesn't matter so long as the audience gets what it wants. drew ____ � The WDVL Discussion List from WDVL.COM � ____ To Join wdvltalk, Send An Email To: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] or use the web interface http://e-newsletters.internet.com/discussionlists.html/ Send Your Posts To: [email protected] To change subscription settings, add a password or view the web interface: http://intm-dl.sparklist.com/read/?forum=wdvltalk ________________ http://www.wdvl.com _______________________ You are currently subscribed to wdvltalk as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe via postal mail, please contact us at: Jupitermedia Corp. Attn: Discussion List Management 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Please include the email address which you have been contacted with.
