12/02: Who's Building Your Website?
Within your organization, who has responsibility for creating, developing, managing and maintaining your company or brand website? Too often, when senior managers plan to implement a website, they wind up putting it under the guidance of their IT group. Strangely, it seems that anything having to do with computers comes under the IT umbrella.
Generally, websites are a means to communicate to a targeted group of people. They could be employees, consumers, existing or potential customers. In each of these cases, usually the goal of the site is to inform, promote a product or service and/or sell something.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I couldn't live without IT. We need the IT department. They create our computerized internal operating systems, such as HR, benefits, inventories and all sorts of databases and often times, even our phone systems. IT professionals are trained to build databases, make communication systems work, design and construct elaborate networking systems and take care of the help desk so when something goes south with someone like me, I have a place to turn for guidance.
So, here’s the rub. If you were creating a TV ad, would the people who installed DVD machines be called in to manage the creative development, NO. If you were going to design and print an employee handbook would you ask the people supplying the paper to write it? NO. For all these things you don't turn to the people who create and maintain the infastructure, you need the people who are knowledgable of the platform, skilled in understanding your audience and capable of creating a mesage to reach them. You should be thinking the same way when it comes to building a website. Call an expert. A good IT team makes it possible to do great things, like the builders of the Sistene Chapel made it possible for Michelangelo to create such a moving piece of art.
Generally, websites are a means to communicate to a targeted group of people. They could be employees, consumers, existing or potential customers. In each of these cases, usually the goal of the site is to inform, promote a product or service and/or sell something.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I couldn't live without IT. We need the IT department. They create our computerized internal operating systems, such as HR, benefits, inventories and all sorts of databases and often times, even our phone systems. IT professionals are trained to build databases, make communication systems work, design and construct elaborate networking systems and take care of the help desk so when something goes south with someone like me, I have a place to turn for guidance.
So, here’s the rub. If you were creating a TV ad, would the people who installed DVD machines be called in to manage the creative development, NO. If you were going to design and print an employee handbook would you ask the people supplying the paper to write it? NO. For all these things you don't turn to the people who create and maintain the infastructure, you need the people who are knowledgable of the platform, skilled in understanding your audience and capable of creating a mesage to reach them. You should be thinking the same way when it comes to building a website. Call an expert. A good IT team makes it possible to do great things, like the builders of the Sistene Chapel made it possible for Michelangelo to create such a moving piece of art.
