Businesses and organizations around the world are in a rush to get on the World Wide Web. It seems that having a Web site is now required for everyone.

Almost anyone can put together a Web page. Developing a Web strategy, on the other hand, takes some doing. Careful thought and planning is needed to ensure that the organization’s Web site really does the job it was meant to do. Before that happens, questions have to be asked and answered.

Who are we? What is the nature of your company or organization? What is your mission? Certainly there are differences between a not-for profit organization and a big corporation. As a result, their Web sites will be different also. It reflects the nature and mission of the organization, whether it is to provide information or sell a product.

What do we want to accomplish with our Web site? While it can be important to establish a presence on the Web, the site should meet a specific purpose or purposes.

Some examples:

Providing information about a particular issue

Announcing/marketing a product or service

Promoting your organization

Providing customer service and support

Directly selling a product or service