Your Website's Functionality

I love helping develop and program highly functional tools. At RT Design Group, we have developed and programmed very high functioning websites, with unique tools like online database integration, scheduling components, media management infrastructure, etc. If you look at basic websites (which I also enjoy doing), there really are not too many new, innovative things that go into programming these sites. There are typically 5-7 pages, and some with drop down, sub-page components. Typically, though, basic sites do not have a high level of functionality.

For some businesses, that is absolutely the right decision. Investing in additional tools would not be wise. What they need is an informational site -- online marketing property that announces who they are and what they value. For others, though, a high level of functionality is a wise and appropriate investment. When these websites present themselves, I get so excited, because from a development standpoint, it means that I work with the design team in order to deliver results to the clients.

When looking into developing a higher level of functionality on your website, here are some questions to ask yourself, as well as your website design and development team:

• Are your website hosting services prepared and able to support this level of functionality? Do you have the capacity to host a site that may get the amount of traffic I am projecting?
• What tools do my visitors need to have an excellent online experience? Will they grow frustrated if I do not give them the tools that they need?
• What level of functionality --if any-- will set my website apart from my competition?
• Are there progressive, innovative tools that I can use to increase production, change the playing field of my industry, or generate additional revenue?
• How will I manage high volume if these online tools perform at the level I would like? What additional support will I require?
• How will I market these additional tools online? SEO? Social media? Blogging? Do I have a marketing plan in place for when these tools go live?

Figuring out who you are and where you are going as a business can help you answer these questions. Investing in progressive, web-based tools will help you get there.