Website Applications

With the availability of powerful scripting languages such as PHP, ASP and Javascript, imagination is the only limitation when it comes to website applications.  Website based applications can lead to increased profits, better branding, better customer support and a potentially huge competitive advantage. 

If you find yourself routinely doing repetitive manual tasks as a normal part of your business or organization operation, consider if the task could be automated, resulting in saved time and money.  Some common applications are discussed below to help foster new ideas on how you can leverage your website to increase efficiency and productivity.  If you have a particular function in mind, discuss it with your web designer.  Chances are – they can implement something to make your life easier! 

Calendar Functions

Calendar functions involve anything that manipulates the date or time.  All scripting languages contain many built-in functions designed specifically for date and time.  If your organization uses scheduled events as part of its normal marketing strategy, consider adding an Event Calendar so that your site visitors can be made aware of what events are coming up.  Event Calendars are easily maintained by the Website Administrator through a simple control panel.

Another common Calendar function is the Appointment Calendar.  If you see customers on an appointment basis this function could save a lot of time on Appointment administration.  A site visitor can see what appointment times are available and can book an appointment right on your website.  Appointment notifications can be sent via email to the customer as well as any staff members who may need to act on the appointment information.

Email Functions

Despite the growth in Spam, email is becoming as essential a tool for business communication as the telephone.  Businesses and organizations must treat their email as a priority, because like unreturned phone calls, unreturned emails are a quick way to turn potential clients off.

Websites can be used to generate emails for any number of reasons.  If a site visitor wants more information about a product or service, they can fill out a form that in turn, sends an email to the appropriate person on staff to follow up with the client.  Emails can also be sent to clients to acknowledge when they have taken an action, such as creating a new account on your site.

A great way to stay in touch with your client base is through the use of a Newsletter.  A Newsletter Manager allows you to build and maintain an email subscriber list through your website, as well as creating and sending a Newsletter through an Administration Panel.

Customer Data Functions

Databases are typically included for free with most Website Hosting packages.  A database is a means to store virtually any kind of data under control of some software application.  You can use a database to track information about your business or clients and have it all available using a Database Interface function.  These functions are easily customized to suit your individual needs.

Some of the more common Customer Data functions include shopping carts functions and customer accounts and Newsletter subscription functions.  You can also track site visits and cross reference the data in what ever way makes sense to your specific situation.

Image Functions

The most obvious example of an Image Function is a Photo Gallery often referred to as a Portfolio.  A Photo Gallery, or Portfolio, is often a great way to show your site visitors examples of your work.  A good Photo Gallery or Portfolio function will allow the Website Administrator to upload, edit and delete photos through an Administration Panel, eliminating the need to call your web developer every time you want to make changes.

Content Management System

A Content Management System (CMS) refers to an application that allows the Website Administrator to upload, edit or delete some or all website content.  A CMS typically stores your content (or a reference to the content) in a database and loads the content when the page is requested by a website visitor.  A CMS application may take some getting used to at first but has the advantage of minimizing or eliminating the need for a web developer to be involved with every change you make to the website, saving a lot of money on maintenance fees.

News & RSS

News and RSS feeds are popular ways to keep your visitors informed as well as providing fresh content on a regular basis to your site.  Search Engines such as Google, place a lot of value on “fresh content” so News Releases are a must if ranking well in the Search Engines is important.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is a standard method for people to “subscribe” to your News Feeds.  When you publish a News story on your website, anyone who is subscribed to that RSS feed will get a notification that the new story exists and can click on a link to get the News Article on your site.  This is a great way to generate traffic to your site while increasing your Search Engine rankings.

Blogs

A Blog (short for Weblog) is a function that allows one or more authors to post data on their websites, inviting comments and interaction from the readers.  Blog content can be about any subject, and is another great way to provide fresh content to your site and increase visitor interest.  Like the News function, adding Blog entries is very simple and can be used as an RSS feed.  Blogs have been growing in popularity over the last few years mainly due to the importance that Google puts on fresh content when ranking websites.

E-Commerce

E-Commerce is one of the most common website applications and can be one of the most complex.  E-Commerce refers to the various components needed to allow business transactions on the internet.  For many websites, this means accepting payment for goods and services provided by or through the website.  These days, more and more consumers are turning to the internet for the goods and services they need and having E-Commerce can provide a business with a significant competitive advantage over other businesses that do not provide this convenience.   Consult with your web developer if E-Commerce makes sense for your website.