Many people view blank sites as a sort of canvas in an artist's studio. That blank sheet is just waiting for you to fill it up. With a site, this can quickly lead to the creation of dynamic flash sites that are very impressive or perhaps a folksy site that reflects your personal attitude towards business and life. These and other forms might be correct, but then again they may not. The problem is we are failing to ask the correct question.
So, what is the correct question? It is simple. What does our audience expect to see? Do they expect to see a personalized site? How about a slick one? Do they expect videos? How about personal tidbits? The answer to these and other questions must be sought out. Let's consider a couple of examples.
I've decided to get off my fat butt and lose some pounds this summer. To force myself to be disciplined, I am going to start a site on losing weight and keep a daily journal. My goal is to make a bit of money on advertising and embarrass myself into staying on the diet!
What should my site look like? Well, it should be very simple and personalized. The point of the site is to convey my personal goal and progress. I would probably incorporate a blog into the site for simplicity. I will also need terrible "before" photographs and glorious "after" photographs. The point is people are going to expect to see a site that is probably a bit folksy, has images and is simple. Incorporating a slick flash design is probably not going to cut the cake. The same can be true for a site offering every kind of weight loss product.
Now, let's take a different situation. After years of study, my buddy has become a plastic surgeon. He needs to launch a site. What is it going to look like? Plastic surgery is about enhancing one's look. As a result, the site needs to convey an elegant image and feel. A slick site incorporating a bit of flash is entirely appropriate. Before and after pictures should also be used as should informative articles. We may want to personalize the site a bit by introducing the doctor and key staff, but a blog would not be a good idea.
As you can see, the contrast between the sites is dependent upon the audience. Figure out what your audience expects to see and then give it to them. This is a fairly standard bit of advice and, thus, easy to overlook. Fail to get it right, however, and your revenues will seriously suffer.
