By designing websites for the use of customers, rather than the "need" of the business, we are able to approach the website development process from a marketing point of view.

The website should be treated as a complimentary piece of the entire marketing budget. Not the end-all, be-all and not something to simply do for the sake of having one. Either end of that spectrum is a waste of money.

To build a website that is right for your business and your customer, look at what the customer asks for and deliver a bit more. Make this a team exercise among your staff. Find out what the most common questions are and have answers for them; what are the most common areas of interest and provide rich content about them; what the most common objections are and provide winning arguments in your favor.

Keep in mind that the beauty of your web site will rest in the functionality, the relevancy of the content and the ease of use. Pay attention to the last one - ease of use.

Again, let's think from the customer point of view. Can I get to any place on your site with one click of my mouse?

Does your home page tell visitors what you do in easy to understand terms?

Is the layout visually pleasing or is it challenging to find areas of interest?

In the end, content wins, but it must be delivered in a format that is easily understandable, easy to navigate and useful to the client.

One of the many benefits of having a website for your customers and your business is the unlimited possibilities that can be developed.

At first it can be a bit overwhelming to plan out the entire website: the pages, the functions and character.To handle that process, we recommend development in stages - much like you've done with your business. Planning your website to adapt to your business is a key ingredient to developing your website from a marketing point of view.

JH Communications works with our clients to develop websites in phases. This enables the agency to accomplish a couple of key elements:

• Clearly define what pages and features will be developed within each phase - which makes for a more effective project management plan;
• Work with each client on expectation management - developing your website in development phases ensures that we are both in line with our expectations and know what is to be expected from each side;
• Allow for "wish lists" and future modules to be created for discussion, functionality and budgetary evaluations. In almost every case, once the website process gets off the ground, excitement runs high and clients get lots of ideas they'd like to incorporate into their website. We advise them to add these features to a wish list so that once the current phase is completed, the wish list can be evaluated for its cost and its purpose, again - in an effort to control and better manage expectations.

By working with the clients to take a smart look at what is needed now and what is needed down the road, we can better help clients control their cost, their satisfaction, and most importantly, their return on investment.