Thousands of companies joined the exodus to the Web during the past year, drawn by the promise of a new and growing consumer base. For some, the move was successful, but for most, a disappointment. The Web is a relatively new medium where success is not necessarily bestowed on companies that are well organized and efficiently run. Traditional strengths in the normal business world often prove to be irrelevant in the world of cyberspace. The main reason for this is that the Web is primarily a visual medium, similar in some respects to television but with an audience that has millions of selection options and a short attention span.
Content is important, but presentation is the key to holding attention.
Web site design, layout and navigational ease play a crucial role in converting the casual surfer to a customer. Companies with unattractive web sites fail to grasp this simple concept and often try to compensate with expensive promotional schemes. Last year we reviewed 10,000 small and medium size business websites checking the layout, content, linking system and browser and screen resolution comparability. We also checked if the websites are correctly optimized for the search engines and non Java browsers. Only 1,944 of the 10,000 qualified as Very Good or Excellent websites.