Let’s first define what a “Website” is: a “resource” file obtainable on the planet Wide Web, turned into HTML — hypertext markup language – and with a singular web address or URL (Uniform Resource Locator). There are three sorts of Websites you should know about. They might be used for e-Business (Electronic business) or e-Commerce (generic name covering “commerce activities” over electronic systems like the web and computer networks, including EFT, EDI, Online payments, e-mail, etc… )
1. The “Company about Corporate Website”- the target is to supply information.
Just like an electronic firm brochure, it provides each Window Display for the entire world to ascertain, simply giving information about the corporation and its products and services, its market, its policies, experienced website creators, and any development which will interest some “stakeholders” with general information.
The responsibility for the corporate Website is typically vested with the overall Manager and/or the general public Relations Department responsible for the “company/corporate image” communication.
Here, the main target is proceeding within processes and therefore the operations of the corporate.
Very often it’s doubled up with a Company/Corporate “Intranet“, an internet site with restricted access reserved for the exclusive use of personnel and surely selected clients and suppliers. The Intranet is usually managed by the HR department and/or General Management. Sometimes it’s the only responsibility of the standard Department because it has got to confirm that it sustains quality labels.
2. The “Commercial or Commerce Website” – the objective is to sell.
This may be a corporation website including additional functionalities aiming at encouraging the guest to shop for products or services. it’s going to include product descriptions and tariffs, terms, and conditions of sales, online ordering, online payment answers, and sales and marketing arguments. It’s often loaded successfully with stories and testimonials from actual customers, a listing of products, an inquiry box, a handcart, various payment media, and online or offline performance options. efficient support to the sales department, no “commercial company” can do without it.
Online shops are often called “e-Commerce Websites” due to electronic buy and sell functions, but this generic term covers all websites that “do commerce electronically”. As an example, when companies can’t offer to put orders directly, and online payments can’t easily be made (car sales, banking services, land, travel, utilities, consulting services, auctions, etc..) the alternatives are automated price quotations, purchasing examples, and simulations. Visitors leave details and request a visit or a written quotation.
The Commercial Website is entirely geared toward the expectations of the potential customer to shop and tremendous empathy is to be exercised to guess what he would want to seek out and get. This explains why most frequently it’s the Marketing and sales division that’s responsible for elaborating and maintaining the website and therefore the Company or Corporate Intranet.
Here, the main target is the external processes and market-related operations of the corporation. It’s fairly often doubled by an Intranet to be employed by the sales department and its management, whereby salesmen can enter the orders or perform quotations generated by the internet’s tools and sales aids. Management gets immediate visibility from the scorecards, dashboards, cockpits, etc… generated by the incoming orders, payments, deliveries, work-in-progress, sales reports, and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) provided by links with the ERP and CRM systems. Today it’s rare that a billboard company survives without both a commercial website and Intranet, with links to the company or head office website.
3. The “Relay Website” – the target is to register prospects and promote other websites.
The Relay Website positions itself into a completely new and different ballgame. it’s going to be utilized in several ways: • on its own, to urge prospects to “opt-in” (giving up their name + email address) thereby giving permission to send them more sales material • or it’s going to be used as a series of complementary websites linked to larger commercial websites • or it’s going to be wont to simply give information and to link to other sites.
The Relay Website type includes “Affiliate Websites” promoting other websites and earning a sales commission sustained by buyers who are traced by the cookies created by their visit. It also includes BLOGS (Web Log = an internet site that gives often very personal daily info), which share information (no selling!) also as FORUMS where visitors can participate during a discussion. Social Networks have now added their revolutionary new communication websites like Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, and Squidoo,…and can be used as an advertisement and referencing tools for serving the above objective.
Anybody can create a Relay Website, often in only one website, that prints on several print pages. It lends itself ideally to digital products like reports, articles, eBooks, seminars or training videos, courses, newsletters, etc… downloadable instantly. Physical products just take an extended route as delivery isn’t immediate.
The point I attempt to make isn’t only to tell marketers about this new sort of website that’s very different from the more “classic” websites. Even Web Designers ‘, internet experts, and Marketing Management pros remain ignorant about the new age “Internet Marketing” techniques that are sure to witness a “viral explosion” because ANYBODY can use them. Money Making Websites specialize in “earning money online” and are supported by the Relay Website or Affiliate Website type.
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