Sound Design
Agency Web Site Self-Evaluation
This simple, easy-to-answer questionnaire will help raise
awareness about your Web site and identify areas that should be re-evaluated
and improved.
by Steven Brightbill
Did you get the agency Web site you really wanted? Does your Web site do
the job you want it to? Does it generate the results you expected? You did
have some expectations, didn't you?
Do agency customers and business partners still ask whether or not you have
a Web site? Is your agency staff aware of your site content? Are they proud
to tell people about the Web site?
Most agencies want a Web site that accurately portrays the agency's message,
projects a favorable image, and satisfies users' interests. But imagining
a great Web site and ending up with one are two different things.
The goals of self-evaluation
In a general sense, some sort of systematic Web site evaluation can be useful
in comparing intent and expectation with actuality and results. It would be
foolish to think that an agency deliberately sets out to develop an ill-conceived
and poorly-executed Web presence. But despite good intentions and reasonable
expectations, many Web sites do fail — often without the site owner's
awareness of how and why that happened. So, what can evaluation do and how
can an agency benefit?
- Focuses the thought process. If you've ever used the services of a consultant,
you might recall that many questions were asked. Asking questions tends
to focus thinking. Most people can answer questions, but cannot identify
the questions to ask. Consultants, because they tend to be dispassionate
observers outside the problem, can often see things and ask questions that
likely would not occur to an "insider."
- Looks at what is. Any useful evaluation must start with what is known.
Your Web site is a tangible, viewable thing about which much can be objectively
identified and commented on. To perform this self-evaluation you will need
to actually look at your Web site, think about the questions asked, and
then proceed to uncover the actualities and results of what your site reveals.
- Identifies the good, bad, and ugly, when honest. Any evaluation process
is only as good as the honesty with which questions are answered. Most Web
sites exhibit a mixture of good, bad, and in-between qualities. Don't let
the fear of uncovering a problem limit the likelihood of finding something
commendable. On the other hand, don't imagine your site to be so praiseworthy
as to blind you to possible weaknesses.
- Creates a platform on which to build. As we've consistently emphasized,
a Web site is not a once and done project, but an ongoing process. That
means you can always make improvements and fix things you don't like. Some
site updates and fixes can usually be made fairly quickly simply by calling
your Webmaster who can make changes while on the phone with you. Beyond
the routine, a Web site evaluation can also provide the starting point in
a makeover or rebuild effort. In fact, it would be pointless to start the
makeover without first knowing what you have to work with.
Limitations
This simple self-evaluation, which will become part of the Sounding Line
Web site, is by no means all-inclusive.
It should be regarded as a indicator of your site's likely performance. If
you're not happy with your current Web site and are thinking about a future
makeover, we suggest a more extensive Web site evaluation.
Watch for Results
You'll have to add your score up yourself, but you can see how your results
compare with others who've taken the survey. Watch for information on this
site and a future Sounding Line article analyzing the results of the survey.
Survey no longer available. You may request a copy of the survey questions
by sending us an e-mail.
© Copyright 2002 by Sound Internet Strategy. All rights
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