Super article. It's making me go back to our blogs and double check that we've got some of these points identified and addressed.

Re: contact email.

I've recently changed our blog email to hello@. I thought it would be a little friendlier than the usual help@ or blog@

On the backend, we are using our newest product www.emailcenterpro.com to make sure those blind emails are handled by the whole company. It's important to us that people who take the time to contact us are answered as quickly as possible, and by making sure everyone here has access to all the "blind" and form emails, we ensure they always get answered.

Ciao Valeria,

Le aziende avranno bisogno sempre di una certa scrittura che non cambia spesso. Tuttavia, avete fatto le osservazioni fantastiche circa i difetti in molti Web site.

Great post! To do even better, I would say get someone else to go over these things on your website.

Often, its difficult to see things from other's perspectives, so get someone from your target audience to go through the site and see how well they do.

First off, apologies for the typos I saw in my post ;-) Thank you so much for joining the conversation.

@Chelle - I think people do not mind using a generic email account, as long as their questions and inquiries are addressed. It looks like you have your bases covered, and that is commendable.

@Neil - so you have chosen to learn Italian, I take? For those who do not speak Italian, the comment is about companies needing to have a baseline for their story. Of course. And there is more we can improve on Web sites with the help of how the online conversation has evolved to more fluid, extemporaneous and in small bites.

@CS - that is an excellent suggestion. Having someone else look over your work helps in any situation. After the third pass, we may get used to it and do not see with fresh eyes anymore. Plus, we may take some language for granted, because we can complete the conversation in *our* heads.

La vostra osservazione e esattamente di destra, dovete avere parole che sono il fondamento ed allora costruire su quello.

E la mia comprensione che alcune aziende hanno scelto avere soltanto un blog e non un Web site tradizionale. Questa tendenza puo continuare ed e probabilita molto alta che andra piu velocemente.

Valeria, although social media is getting all the attention these days, I also believe the basic web site will not go away and remains an important tool in business. Nowadays, when you hear of a company and want to learn more, the first thing you do is try to find their web site. The web site is often the first point of information about your business, so it is important to give it proper attention.

David,

It will not go away but I think the Web site will still be there but some new companies their only Web site for a few reasons:

1. The technology is easier to use than that of the traditional Web site.

2. The content can be fresh keeping the customer's coming back.

3. Search engines love fresh content on Web sites. I am not sure exactly how very rapid changes on a blog would affect that, though.

So if some new companies are using a blog not a web site at all, we may be seeing a trend. It is too early to tell.

At the very least, this speaks to the increasing importance of blogs. It also suggests a possible trend toward replacing the traditional Web site.

Ideally, a hybrid approach would evolve that had relatively static, database driven content: service information, support information, etc., combined with a blog and bundled in the same easy to use technology.

Maybe that technology exists right now or maybe there is an opening. I have not looked into it.

Ug, not only was my Italian grammar bad in earlier posts but my grammar in my native language, English, is bad in this last post. My apologies.

I need to learn to write one language well or not post before coffee. I am Pacific Time and just woke up. :-)

P.S. I wish there were a way to go back and edit posts.

@David - I am also convinced that Web sites will not go away; perhaps they will be evolved to a more dynamic online presence without the heavy use of flash. They could have an overlay of co-creation tools, or more interactive areas. We are seeing blogs that have static features - like pages (about page and others) to accommodate for timeless information that does not change so frequently - and does not need commenting. I wonder if traffic on regular Web site might be made more apparent, for example. Things like that.

@Neil - yes, your Italian grammar was pretty loose. As for having just a blog - I would go back to having some timeless pages on it that articulate what the company does and how it delivers it. The flow of a blog from a content standpoint is great, but people do not have the time to go dig for information. I am seeing a lot of sites that are a hybrid - they combine the fluency of a blog (and other social media tools) with the timelessness that comes from - here's what we do, here's why you care, and here's how we deliver it.

Thank you all for stimulating further thoughts!

Yes, Valeria, the hybrid approach is probably the wave of the future.

The thing is blogging is easier than designing a web site and, perhaps, is more effective for some firms. The idea would be an easy-to-use content management system that enables you to create somewhat static content *and* blog, too. That may be the optimal approach if such tools exist. I am not sure.

It would be great if you say quickly create some static content then switch gears immediately and blog on your site.

I was lamenting my English grammar, actually! In my haste to post I am sometimes loose with my grammar.

My near future Italian would be about as bad as the above or perhaps you would prefer no Italian in my responses? :-)

It's all about the right tools for the right job. If you have Flash, your site can still be accessible from a Blackberry.

I have to say the blanket statement that Flash "tends to be same over and over" is just plain misinformed and very outdated.

It's also about content. Have good content and make sure your mark-up is standards compliant, not just "fresh", for search engine and device friendliness.

Sorry, this article seems like it was written about 3 years ago.

Hi All,

Let me give you a brief idea of how things work in India,

Although these are still early days for internet in India but a large segment of population in urban india is hooked onto the internet.

Still,Websites are not considered the parallel corridors in any industry, they are just there for the heck of it and i am surprised to see this not being taken care of,As there are plethora of opportunities a neat and informative website can provide,

A buyer mite want to access information or a prospective customer mite want to know the feedback of a particular service or a product. These are small things, what people can do and reap rich benefits.

Sadly though, Its a long way away.

P.S.- Valeria, i am a great fan of your Writing.

Cheers..

Varun Badhwar

In continuation...

So u can clearly understand, how blogs wud fair..?

Cheers..

Varun Badhwar

Every time my marcom or web design team comes back with a redesign, I tell them to stare at the Google home page and come back with stuff that makes sense. You are spot on - relevant, engaging content, readability, navigation and ease of connecting with someone/anyone at the company is paramount.

I went back to my 2 post young blog and made a couple of minor tweaks to reflect your inputs. Successful marketing has to elicit a particular behavior or change it to one, and your blog succeeded in doing that on me :)

Valeria, Good article.

I strongly agree with your comment that comment forms are a turn-off. I will fill one in only as a last resort.

@Jesse - thank you for arguing. I can state an opinion that flash is often unnecessary and not user friendly - can't I? You do not offer much in exchange, not even a link or place I can go learn, if that is the case. I would not be so sure about content that "plays" to search engines. I would rather it satisfies the needs of actual customers.

@Varun - you are very kind. It all starts with small steps to improve what you have and build from there.

@Shekar - glad you found ideas here. I'm sure you'll find more from your interactions with readers.

@Linda - personal preference. Some bloggers indicate they prefer Twitter, or Facebook, or some other social media. That is fine with me. A blank form feels impersonal, a mismatch with the personal nature of social media.

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