Web Site Success - A Case Study
This article was written by Vann Baker of ImageServe, one of MindSpring's Web Partners. Vann offers a first-hand look at changes in web sites as well as a case study of the United States Tennis Association, Southern Section web site at http://www.usta-sta.com/.
In the last six months, we have seen a major shift in our clients' attitude about the Internet. Instead of questions about how a web site can make money (selling products or information) and requests for basic web presence sites, we are getting more clients wanting to create "intelligent" web sites which save money by collecting information, taking orders and creating web pages from a database.
When the web took off like a rocket out of control a few years ago, everyone was (and still is) overwhelmed by the seemingly limitless potential of the Internet. With exponential growth and more of mainstream America getting online every day, it seemed like a simple process to put up a modest web site and rake in the profit. It hasn't been that easy. Most web sites forget to utilize the simple business principles of marketing.
Some of the more successful web sites have been those which use the powerful information gathering capabilities of the Internet to deliver unmatched customer service. The Federal Express (www.federalexpress.com) and UPS (www.ups.com) web sites both offer visitors the capability to schedule package pickups, make account inqueries, request information about special services, and find other news and information about the companies. One of the most popular features at these sites are the package tracking capabilities. Instead of calling an 800 number and speaking to a representative (and maybe waiting on hold), the user can enter their package tracking number on the web site at any time, and immediately find out where their package is and when it should arrive at its destination.
Another highly successful web site is Amazon.com Books (www.amazon.com), offering over 2.5 million titles to the public. By using a powerful database, this web site creates web pages "on the fly" and is searchable by author, book title, subject, keyword and ISBN number.
This interactivity engages the user and demonstrates what a web site can really do for both businesses and users. The people at Amazon went one step further and have allowed you to add your own reviews. As you find books you are interested in purchasing, you can place them in a virtual "shopping cart" where your purchases are automatically totalled with the appropriate shipping charges and sales tax calculated and added to the purchase price. By accepting credit cards for purchases, ordering from this virtual bookstore is simple and quick.
All of these web sites are successful for several reasons. First, they have very clearly defined purposes: to provide quality online customer service. Next, they automate tasks normally handled by a human customer service representative. Lastly, they all have spent money on marketing their web site so the public knows who they are and how to find them online easily. These web sites are prime examples of successful, intelligent web sites which utilize database information to create dynamic web content.
Recently we were approached by the United States Tennis Association, Southern Section (www.usta-sta.com) based in Atlanta. Samir Mahir, Director of MIS, presented several challenges for us. First of all, he wanted us to create a web site that would be graphically appealing while informing the USTA-STA membership and the public about the organization in general, upcoming tournaments and results. Secondly, they wanted to offer a unique "game-matching" capability whereby USTA-STA members throughout the Southeast could match tennis skills and set up games through the web site.
Our first task was to create graphics and navigation aids that would capture the spirit of the USTA-STA and the sport of tennis. We utilized colors, logos and themes from print materials which would tie both the print media and the web site together. A consistent color scheme throughout the web site gives it a sense of unity. We also utilized action photographs throughout the web site, but kept them small and to a minimum number in order to make fast loading pages.
Next, we looked at the ease of navigation through the web site. We wanted to avoid those dreadful "dead ends" often found on the web. We wanted our client's membership to be able to find any major area of the web site from any other major area. This would eliminate any frustration on the part of users who typically visit large web sites where it is easy to become lost. We created small tennis ball icons as navigation buttons, consistent with the overall color theme.
Creating the Game Matching System was a fun project. We created several pages which would walk the user through the process and then created a page for the member to make selections for his or her game matching criteria, such as skill level, age range, location and time.
When the information just entered is submitted, a computer program is triggered, queries the database and delivers a new web page with the matching results to the user. This is a great way to bring interactivity into a web site. While any web site can offer page after page of information, a database can provide an almost infinite variety of information based on the user's needs or requests.
Once the member finds a match, they can e-mail the other player and finalize any details such as directions, game match time, and the date of the match. Because the Game Matching System is database driven, only the database needs to be changed when new members are added.
The USTA-STA web site is often visited by non-members who could not have full access to the database. We created a password protected page so only members can use the Game Matching System. We did, however, create a demo which gives the user a feel for the system without giving them access to the database.
In addition, the USTA-STA web site also features a feedback page so members can let management know how to improve both the web site and the organization. A secure order page that allows users to join the organization was also created. These pages serve as a customer service forum, allowing the user 24 hour access rather than the being restricted to calling a phone number and speaking with someone during office hours.
Is the USTA-STA web site successful? According to Samir Mahir at the USTA-STA, "Our web site has enabled us to distribute information to our members with greater speed and automate the previously manual process of game-matching. Our membership has given us very positive feedback about our web site."
Some parting advice: Make your web site interactive. Keep people coming back to your web site again and again so you can give them new advertising information and offer new products and services.
About the author: Vann Baker is the Web Development Manager for ImageServe (www.imageserve.com), a web site design and marketing company located in Roswell. Vann can be reached via E-mail: vann@imageserve.com or at (770) 993-0383.
If you have questions or comments about this article, please email websales@mindspring.com.
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