Internet - The World Wide Web
Types of Web Sites

Types of Web Sites

Types of Web Sites
Let’s start by taking a look at the most common types of Web sites and examine some of the issues involved in creating a Web site that will build a close and ongoing relationship with your prospects and customers. This will provide you with a framework for creating your own Web site, one based on the customer development cycle.

There are four types of Web sites: inner-directed, information-oriented, transaction-driven, and relationship-oriented.

Inner-directed Web sites are created from the business’s point of view. The home page typically features the firm’s logo and accomplishments. Inner-directed Web sites lack a focus on specific products or services. They typically fail to encourage urgency or visitor involvement. These sites typically feature photographs of buildings, lists of accomplishments, and testimonials from satisfied customers.

Information-oriented Web sites provide more information about the firm’s products and services. These sites function like electronic brochures in that they communicate the same types of material as found in brochures. Information-oriented Web sites reflect more of a customer focus but fail to communicate urgency or establish a two-way information exchange with the Web site visitor.

Transaction-oriented Web sites assume that every visitor is ready to buy and, accordingly, place an emphasis upon price product features and benefits and place a premium on urgency; price is used to encourage visitors to order “right now!”. To date, the most successful examples of transaction-oriented Web sites are the numerous Web sites created by airlines, book stores, concert ticket outlets, and computer industry hardware manufacturers and software makers. Although transaction-oriented Web sites are the fastest-growing category of Web sites, transaction sites depend heavily on price incentives and—accordingly—often fail to offer visitors a reason to return until the next time customers are in the market to buy. They, likewise, make no attempt to create long-term customer loyalty.

Relationship-oriented Web sites that attempt to forge long-term bonds with Web site visitors by establishing an ongoing dialog with them, fine-tuning the relationship between buyer and seller, and rewarding previous customers so they’ll not only buy again, but also recommend the firm to their friends. Relationship-oriented Web sites are intended to advance customers along the customer development cycle.

* Source - Streetwise Relationship Marketing On The Internet
              Create one on one bonds with prospects
              and customers and keep them forever