Building a Quality Web Site for Your Business.

• Author: GERE, SCOTT

Should you develop and maintain your own Web site, or should your out-source the work?

A good Web site is expensive. Alaska businesses are finding that developing and maintaining a successful Web site requires a strong commitment of resources. Cost factors are many.

First, there's the time you spend thinking about and planning your Web site. A solid Web site strategy requires a great deal of consideration, and that's time you could be spending on other aspects of your business.

Second, there are direct internal expenses. If you involve your staff in developing and maintaining your site, you are paying them for that time. You are also paying for any software they need to perform their Web site duties and any training they may require. If you host your own site, you'll spend money on server hardware, software and someone to maintain the systems.

Third, there are direct external expenses. By outsourcing some or all of the development and support of your site, you're sending money right out the door to someone else.

No matter how you distribute development and maintenance duties, a good Web site will require both time and money.

What Makes a Good Web Site?

A Web site combines a number of different elements, each with its own area of expertise. A good one takes the following into account and excels in each.

Strategic Planning: A good Web site is based on sound thinking and planning. You know what your shortand long-term goals are for the site, who your target audiences are and how you will assess the success of your site.

You know who your competition is and what they're doing with their site. You stay abreast of trends affecting Internet and your industry, reviewing and revising your Web site strategic plan as the market dictates.

Design and Layout: A good Web site is designed and organized with its target audiences in mind. It is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Graphics are optimized for fast load times, and layouts are tested for compatibility with the most common browsers and platforms.

The visual presentation is specifically created to support the content and is based on solid design principles.

Content and Updates: A good Web site provides its visitors with the content they are looking for.

Copy is well written and tailored to the target audiences; it is formatted specifically for Internet readers. New content is posted in a timely fashion and is easily accessible for site visitors.

Function and Hosting: A good Web site makes...