CIOs – Don’t Lose Sight of Your Web Site
- Details
- Written by Dave Carey
Like most people these days, I visit more Web sites in the space of a week than I would care to count. When it comes to the sites of mid- to large-sized organizations, I find about one in ten is really impactful and well executed. About half I would describe as acceptable to pretty good, although most in this group are lacking in imagination and verve. The remaining 40 percent suffer from a variety of ills: poor navigation, missing content, cumbersome functionality, lackluster or just plain bad graphic design – the list goes on.
Is it the job of the CIO to ensure that the company has a compelling and well-functioning Web site? To the extent that the CIO has influence over the finished product, the answer is yes. In most organizations, the CMO will hold the reins to design and content. But when it comes to building or overhauling the site, having it function properly, and tying it into backend systems, the buck stops at the CIO’s office.
I recently visited the Web site of a company I do quite a bit of business with, and I discovered that it had been redesigned – for what reason I don’t know, as it was a well-functioning and very customer-friendly site before the change. Didn’t take me long to figure out that the site had lost some of the basic functionality that I had come to rely on. Some important product information that was easily accessible on the old site was now difficult to get at, and some of the content that had been clear cut was now ambiguous.
As it happens, I know the CIO of this organization. He’s a smart guy and I’m sure would not have let these problems go unrectified if he’d had more time to get involved in the redesign process. But like all CIOs, he’s got a ton of work on his plate, and I’m sure this is simply a case of him relying on his staff, corporate stakeholders, and perhaps a vendor partner to get things right. He no doubt had a look at the final product before it went live, but it’s obvious he didn’t spend a lot of time with it.
I would argue, though, that any substantive Web site overhaul should rate more than the cursory attention of the CIO. It is simply too important not to be on his or her priority list. Why? Because Web sites can have a direct and immediate impact on the bottom line. They are a key touch point with customers and business partners – in some cases they are the most important touch point. Sales may live or die, depending on how engaging the site is, and how easy it is to use. Brand image may thrive or wither, depending on how compellingly it is presented on the site. Visitors may become lifelong customers or forever lost prospects, depending on the quality their Web experience.
And there’s one more reason that the Web site should not be overlooked. To a degree, it is a visible manifestation of the IT organization, and as such, the CIO has a significant stake in its proper execution.
This doesn’t mean that CIOs need to take a deep dive into site redesigns, but they should (a) take the time to review significant site changes early in the process, (b) find a point person they can fully rely on to be their eyes and ears during the redesign process, (c) establish good communications throughout the project with key stakeholders, and (d) clear enough time in their calendar for a thorough test-drive of the site before it goes live – a test-drive that reflects the usage needs of customers, partners and other key visitors.
CIOs talk a lot about creating business value. Getting the Web site right is an important way of doing just that. As well, taking an interest in the Web site project should lead to better collaboration with the CMO, something most organizations could use more of.
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