Simply building a site "because that's what companies do" is not enough.  In marketing we constantly examine how different aspects of a business add value to that business.  The Internet is no different.  How can a Web site add value to any organization?  That's a question that needs to be answered.  All too often companies put up a Web site that is merely an online brochure and doesn't really add any value.  They provide names, addresses, phone numbers, a picture of the CEO sitting in his big leather chair, a history of the company, etc.  Let's consider Tom's Hairbrush Company.  I don't care about what the CEO looks like, and I don't believe I have ever taken the time to read the history of any company online--let alone a hairbrush company--because I don't care.  Maybe the webmaster's mother will read that section.  I might need that address and phone number, so I visit the site and print the "brochure,"  but I really could've looked that up in the phone book.  I'm not about to pay $6.00 in shipping to purchase a $4.00 hairbrush.  In addition, if my hair needs brushing, I don't want to wait a week while the UPS man brings my brush.  I've got KNOTS!  What real value has this site added to Tom's Hairbrush Company?

In order to add value to any organization, a Web site must provide real content.  Content is the information that is available on the site.  Theoretically it is the reason people visit your site, and it's the reason they return.  It may provide information, entertainment, online services, transaction capabilities, communication forums, or other types of content that will attract visitors.  But always remember that content is the reason people visit your site.

The Internet is the only medium we have, to date, that combines sight, sound, multimedia, two-way communication, and real-time communication, all wrapped in the same package, inexpensively enough to be in millions of homes.  The possibilities are unrealized, yet it is misused so frequently!  The Internet adds interactivity to a medium in ways that we are only beginning to see.   Any site that is not interactive at some level has missed the proverbial boat.  The more interactive the site, the more the site takes advantage of the Internet's capabilities.  Let's take a look at a VERY good business model--Land's End.

Land's End had been a traditionally sound company, but went from a $560 million per year company to its year 2000 sales of $1.462 billion, due predominantly to the Internet.  They currently are the leading clothing retailer in the world.***   In addition, they have significantly reduced their catalogue output and curbed affiliated costs, and they're not slowing down.  Now let's ask a few questions.  Are they the cheapest clothing retailer in existence?  No.  Do they have the absolute best clothes in the world?  No.  Do they have really pushy salespeople that get the job done?  No.  Ok, so what is it that they have done?  The answer is simple.  They offer a good product at a fair price, but there are LOTS of companies that do that (however, don't forget the importance of that!).  The second reason is their Web site content.  Land's End not only provides clothing, but it provides a full shopping experience, and currently is one of the few Web sites that addresses a wide variety of customer needs and concerns.

***(http://moneycentral.msn.com, May 2001)