More companies are using the Internet to promote their products and to service their customers. Some have static Web pages, featuring a simple product catalog; others have more enhanced self-service features that make it easy for visitors to sign up for a service or customers to update their particulars.

Whatever it may be, the Web site or portal should be designed and created based on clear business objectives.

"If you are not clear on who will eventually buy your products, you will not set up your Web site correctly to attract the right customers." Ryan Chioh, executive director, FarEastFlora.com

Ryan Chioh, executive director of FarEastFlora.com, says one needs to be acutely aware of the products and services that they are selling. "You need to understand what you want to sell on the Internet before deciding on how to go about setting up the Web site. As we know now, not everything can be sold on the Internet."

He was referring to high-priced items such as diamonds. "The customer will most likely prefer to see it first before committing to buy it, because of the aesthetic value of the item.

"Having said this, I think if a diamond jeweler was to have a Web site, it will help in promoting his products and serves as a first point of contact for customers who want to know more about the item. The end effect may be that they will then go to the physical store front to get the item," adds Chioh.

The second important aspect is to understand the target customer. "Who is your target market? The Internet is a great place to sell your products, but if you are not clear on who will eventually buy your products, you will not set up your Web site correctly to attract the right customers," emphasizes Chioh.

Adam Benzion, product marketing for collaboration and communication at Microsoft, agrees that the Web site or portal should be developed from the customer's perspective, ensuring the visitor has a good experience once they're at the site. "Customers who visit any Web site are interested in several key items: buying a product or service, obtaining support, or simply trying to contact the SMB. The design lends itself to achieving these major tasks right from the home page," he said.

Information rules
The underlying foundation of having a Web page is to provide information. "Content-driven pages not only provide information to the users but also provide it as an added-value service. The information should convey the key message across and also present it in an innovative manner that appeals to the user," says Roy Chan, a consultant with the Systems Integration Group for NEC Solutions Asia Pacific.

When setting up an e-commerce site, provide as much information on the product as possible. "This will help reduce the number of enquiries that comes to you, which can be in big numbers sometimes," says FarEastFlora.com's Chioh. This includes product information, pricing information, return policies, delivery policies, security policies, payment policies, store opening hours, and store location.

Speed is also another factor that draws users back to the portal. "Studies have shown that users would leave a site if it takes more than 5 seconds to load. Therefore, Web portals have to ensure the prompt and fast efficient delivery of the Web portal to the users," says Chan.

Chioh agrees. In an e-commerce environment, go for the basics and avoid new technologies that slow down the loading of the Web page. "Some sites try too hard to impress, and they overload their sites with graphics which cause download times to be too long," he said.

The best guide is to stick to the three-click rule. "A customer must be able to add the shopping cart within three clicks... If the customer cannot add the item to the cart in three clicks, it is most likely that he will abandon the shopping process," says Chioh.

Another point to note, adds Chioh, is that Internet shopping is about capturing the impulsive buyer. "So we need to make it as easy as possible for them to buy," he said.

Managing content
Content management systems provide a comprehensive means to author, route, approve, post, and archive content. According to CJ Martin, Asia-Pacific sales executive for IBM Software Group, such systems enable end users to control the content development and delivery process, while the IT team can focus on infrastructure matters to assure the scalability, availability, and reliability of the systems.

However, not every SMB building a portal will require a sophisticated publishing system. According to HP, a company should only invest in a content management system if, one, the content changes regularly; two, content is to be shared; three, providing content online is core to the business.

"If the company doesn't introduce a new product every day or week, then (it should) just go with static pages," says Philip Lee, solutions program manager for commercial accounts and SMB Customer Solutions Organization, HP Asia-Pacific and Japan. "Content management systems are not cheap."

Use the Web to communicate with customers