> > The one thing I always wanted to do but could never get a clear
> > consensus on from upper management was to push all of the concrete
> > parts of the web site to the main page. Not necessarily to take over
> > the main page, but to have at least a substantial section that lists
> > everything concrete you can *do* at the site, like:
> > Most of the time the "design" of the site - the layout of each
> > page and the architecture of all of the pages - simply can't
> > anticipate what the user's desires are(*).
WRONG!!!
First question: How are they finding the site???
You need to analyze your traffic. If it is from search engines, then
they should be finding the relevant pages directly, not get hung up on
some "home page" with everything on it. That means creating keyword
specific pages for specific functions.
If they come from off-media advertising, then you need to tune the
page for the current ad campaign, and provide quick links to common
functions for those who forgot to bookmark their more commonly used
function pages.
> > (* This results in large part because of a combination of three things.
> > 1) lack of design skill on management's part,
it is not management's role to design web pages. It is their role to
decree what the prime functions of the web site shall be. And even that
should be done in consultation with those who know what CAN be done within
reason.
> > 2) lack of concrete, measurable, usable user data and demographics, and
Is anyone watching the web logs? Those are loaded with information
you need to see why and where people go. Ask your marketing department
how they test their advertising -- special PO boxes, alternating
themes in advertisements on alternate printing runs of the same edition of
a magazine or newspaper, etc. There are PLENTY of tricks they do to see
what sells! Learn them, the adapt them to the web. The web is THE BEST
way of testing ideas because it is fully instrumented -- you get logs of
every click the visitor makes!
> > 3) lack of willingness to spend anything on getting the above.)
It is cheap compared to print and broadcast advertising!
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----------------------- IMAGINEERING --------------------------
----------------- Every mouse click, a Vote -------------------
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