Wendy Schollum: Consider website as an employee

When a new employee joins your business, what are some of the simple steps you take to ensure they will perform in the role you have awarded them?
You will provide them with the tools they need to do their job (albeit just stationery and a desk), explain to your team how their role will integrate into your existing systems, provide the internal support the new person will need, monitor their performance with key performance indicators (KPIs - goals such as sales targets), provide external training opportunities (where appropriate) and check with your clients to ensure they feel your new employee positively reflects your business.
So, when was the last time you did these things for your website?
If resourced properly, your website can yield a return that is the equivalent of having another full-time employee in your business. It can make sales, relay messages, promote your brand, improve customer service, communicate news, profile past work, grow your contacts database, reduce mundane workload and all while working 24/7, not taking lunch breaks, holidays or a large salary.
To transform your website from an expense into a full-time employee, all you need to do is resource it.
Like any employee, your website needs a job description and a team that recognises and facilitates its role in your business. You need to identify what you expect your website to do and how to measure this (giving your website its own KPIs). If you are unsure how best to do this, call in a web marketing strategist to help you formulate this plan. This is much like calling in a human resources specialist when unsure of how to structure a new role and measure their KPIs.
Once you have clarified your website's role and its KPIs, you may need to contact a web development company to alter the structure, look and copy on your website to ensure it has the tools it needs to achieve your goals. Instead of a desk and stationery, your website needs good functions and coding to do its job.
Some companies fail to have internal processes to respond to or manage the work your website generates. The main reason many websites don't make the sales their owner desires is because there is no effective and speedy system in place to respond to website enquiries.
Finally, you must encourage your clients to give you honest feedback on how they find using your website, and use this information to develop this valuable full-time employee.
Your website is one of the most honest, inexpensive and undemanding employees you will ever have, so make sure it works hard for you by giving it the goals and resources it needs.
Wendy Schollum is a web strategist and Managing Director of Xplore.net Online Solutions (www.xplore.net). If you would like more information on social media, follow the Xplore.net team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/XploreNET), connect on Facebook (www.facebook.com/XploreNET) or call the friendly Xplore.net team on 0800 100 900.