So you are interested in putting your company and its products on the World Wide Web, but you don't know a thing about the Internet or, for that matter, what to put on your web site. How do you go about solving this problem?

You need an assessment meeting with your web developer! The assessment meeting is a way to ensure a smooth transition between what you want and what can be done. Your web developer should be asking several questions and listening closely to your answers in order to determine how to proceed. These question and answer discussions facilitate mutual understanding of the process, as well as setting expectations.

Some of the questions that we will ask include:

1. What is your product, and why is it better than your competition's product?

   Sales material works wonderfully for this. Business cards, brochures, and promotional packets make great material to start with. One thing that might work well is to "sell" your product or service to your web developer. This will provide him with a better understanding of what needs to be SOLD on the web site.

2. How long has your company been in business, what are its standards, and how do your employees feel about working there?

   Company handbooks, employee manuals, and other human resources material makes answering this an easy task. Sell your web developer on your company as if he were a prospective employee. This will give him a good idea of what type of company morale he is dealing with.

3. What is your market? (Who are your customers)?

   Often this answer is easy, but can sometimes be tricky. You may not be able to identify the market, you may have a very small company, or you may have such a broad market that it's difficult to define it. If there are several market areas, define them and try to determine a common thread. If not, you and your web developer should consider including at least one special feature for each of these markets.

4. What is your marketing plan, or what other marketing are you doing?

   We need to seamlessly integrate your current marketing strategy with the web site or the result will be a web site that doesn't reflect your business. If you are using a particular logo, motto, or theme, we will want to carry it into the web site. If you are not doing much marketing, we will need to discuss what type of image you are trying to portray to your clients. Marketing books can be found at the library, and there's a plethora of marketing material online to assist in defining an image for your site... and business!

5. What is the purpose of the web site? Is this site intended to sell widgets, provide company information, recruit employees, or all of the above?

   Of course your web developer will need to know what you want this web site to accomplish. You don't want the site to consist of details from the human resources department if you're trying to sell a product. Nor will you automatically interest prospective employees by giving product information. Even though there can be many purposes for your site, these must be made very clear.

   Also, be aware that if the web site's purpose is to sell a product, selling it online may result in difficulty getting started. Most of the money made is in advertising at this point, not in product sales.

6. What is the plan for marketing your web site?

   Although you may not understand that your web site has to be publicized for it to work, we at the COLOMAR Group do! We will make sure you understand you have to let people know about your web site. If you don't, you are wasting your time and money. You wouldn't obtain a business phone, and not list its number in the phone book, or on your business cards, brochures, and letterheads. Your web address needs to get the same attention. Many phone books now include web site addresses in the yellow pages, and certainly you have seen these associated with product advertisments on television. Product labels are also an important place to put the address.

   Your web developer will also need a list of keywords to be submitted to the various search engines. (We will be sure to discuss this further during our assessment meeting). If you are already aware of some online directories you would like to be placed in, be sure to let your web developer know.

Sounds like a lot of work? Not really... you already have identified all of the answers to these questions as part of your business plan.

Our best bet to building you a great site is to thoroughly explore every avenue with you. We will honestly evaluate your needs and provide an appropriate solution for you.

We at the COLOMAR Group believe that word of mouth is the best publicity, and we want to be sure that you would be happy to recommend us to others.

When we promise to provide you with the best possible service and guarantee your satisfaction, we really mean it!

Please feel free to contact us.