Rebecca Ryan visits with Brody Buss, President of Layer One Media
[Acknowledgement: Layer One Media is the original web design company for the Hot Jobs-Cool Communities and Next Generation Company websites. In 2003 Layer One redesigned the Next Generation Consulting site.]
Rebecca Ryan: Many of our readers are working hard to recruit talent to their organizations and communities. How important are websites as a recruiting tool?
Brody Buss: We are in a tech age. Top talent gauges whether they are a "fit" with a company or a community by how effective their website is. Companies spend millions recruiting and attempting to hire high quality employees. That money can be more efficiently invested in a quality website that draws those true fit employees directly to the company.
RR: We know that our Hot Jobs – Cool Communities traffic is mostly after 5 PM. That indicates to us that people who are weighing relocation and job changes – and visiting sites like ours - are doing so after hours.
BB: Right. And while they're searching, they're looking at your readers' sites, plus dozens of others. A well designed site will pique their interest and bring them back a second, third and fourth time.
RR: What are the most common mistakes you see in the "career" sections of corporate websites?
BB: Investing in the career section of the Web site says a lot about the value a company places on their employees. A well designed career section will include bios of current employees, description of the corporate culture, community activities, restaurants, etc... all which weigh in the potential employees decision to send their resume, or not.
RR: It's interesting that you suggest CORPORATE sites have information about the COMMUNITY. Our research shows that young professionals Live first, Work second.
BB: Yes, if you're targeting someone to relocate to take a job, you have to provide them access to community information. That shows that you're tuned into their needs and wants.
RR: What examples of good websites would you recommend?
BB: Both GE Medical Systems [http://savelives.gecareers.com/] and Google [http://www.google.com/jobs/index.html] have good career sections on their sites.
RR: In a survey we did in December, our readers' 2004 budgets will hold steady or grow slightly. Still, there's no money to throw around. How can readers make sure they get a good return on their web investment?
BB: The equation is simple: Good Web Architecture + Good Data = Properly measured ROI. The best way to measure the return on investment (ROI) of a website is to make sure that the website is thoughtfully architected before it even hits the creation process. This will ensure that you can extract quality statistics on your site that will help you measure, on paper, your ROI.
RR: Many of our readers may not know what you mean when you say "Architecture."
BB: Basically, architecture is the structure of a website. It is the navigational system as well as the information layout throughout a site, both of which are tailored to the site's unique goals and audiences. Every site is different, and should be designed with the necessary business statistics in mind. Think about what is important to your company and the type of information you would need to determine what you would consider a "successful ROI." Discuss those things with a web designer that can help you incorporate proper page design to help you analyze your website.
RR: What's new in web development that our readers need to know about?
BB: The biggest development is trading in static websites for more dynamic ones. Most organizations up to this point have had sites that weren't very conducive to updates. If you wanted something new on your website, you had to ask your web designer to post it for you. This has changed. Today, content management systems (CMS) are driving the new generation of websites. CMS puts the ability to make changes to your website into your hands.
RR: We have CMS on all of our websites, and I can vouch for how much easier it is to make updates, and ensure that guests to our site always have something fresh and interesting to see.
Brody, what are the "deadly sins" our readers should avoid as they trade-up to better websites?
BB: Here are five deadly sins your readers should avoid:
SLOTH: (Just plain out planning laziness) Not planning your website is like building a house without blueprints. It's guaranteeing failure. It's critical to know what your site will do for you and what its purpose is.
GREED: (Hoarding all your company's good information) Update your pages! Keeping your site up to date will emphasize good web presence and help the organization appear always on the cutting edge. Users feel validated when a company lets them in on the most up to date information, and it gives the organization credibility.
PRIDE: (Having love only for your offline marketing) Everything a company does reflects on their image, so it's important to focus on all aspects of your organization's marketing plan. Websites that can't be expanded and sit statically on the web do not promote your image well. If organizations utilize the web as an intricate part of their marketing plan and operate under the idea that the web is a central hub from which all other aspects of the organization branch off, the site will be more successful.
LUST: (Desire for multiple designs) Consistency promotes brand identity; it's as simple as that. It is important that your website be as consistent with your company image as your offline marketing. Keeping your site consistent is also an extension of the idea that your website is a part of your total marketing plan as a whole.
GLUTTONY: (Making your site the envy of every other site) Intense flash animation, detailed graphical navigation, lengthy video, it's enough to make the competitors fall over. Yet, at the same time hoarding aesthetic multimedia can do more harm than good. Search engines (SE) like Google direct large amounts of traffic to company sites daily. If your site is rendered unreachable because of graphic navigation and intense flash (all unreadable to SE spiders) you are missing a huge demographic that won't be directed to your site for future careers, products, or services.
RR: Brody, you've given us a lot to think about. How can readers contact you or is there something of value they might find on your website?
BB: Yes, our contact information is located on our website along with our solutions to the five deadly web sins. To learn more about what we offer or to contact us they can check us out at http://www.layeronemedia.com
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