Subject Classification
Reader Feedback
Subscribing
Unsubscribing
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
Books by
Gerry McGovern
Content Critical
Gaining competitive advantage through high-quality web content
The Web
Content
Style Guide
The essential guide
for online writers, editors and managers
August 01, 2005
Key benefits of a single intranet or public website
By Gerry McGovern
A single website is more connected and credible. It is more consistent and cost effective. It is easier to manage and measure.
The Web is a network and the most important law of networking is to be connected. A large website is not necessarily a strength, and may in fact be a weakness, because people waste time there.
The number of links (connections) you have is nearly always a positive thing. This applies to both internal links and links to your website from third-party websites. (The only type of links you should avoid are links out of your website. Only link out where you have a compelling reason.)
Getting linked from third-party websites is crucial to success. The more links you are getting the more credible you become. (Links from quality websites enhance credibility far more than links from low quality websites.)
If you have multiple websites then each website has to build up its own set of links. Links to website A are not shared by websites B and C. Links to website C are not shared by websites A and B.
Multiple websites weaken the potential power of the overall organization on the Web. Each new website dissipates that power, as the Web sees a range of websites, each with a relatively small set of links. If the organization behaved as a single website (as, for example, Microsoft and Apple generally do), then all incoming links would converge under a single website address, thus making the organization more powerful, visible and credible.
Someone once said that “you get the intranet you deserve.” Certainly, the intranet says a lot about the organization. Many organizations have multiple intranets with little or no consistency of design or links between these disparate websites. This says that the organization is not a very cohesive entity, that it is in fact a loose collection of disparate entities.
Organizations that are more cohesive and coherent tend to be more effective in the long term. Organizations that encourage collaboration tend to be better able to respond and adapt to constant change. Collaboration depends much more on culture than on technology. If the organization has multiple websites with multiple different designs, it may reflect a culture that doesn’t want to collaborate. It may also, however, reflect poor management. I know of one organization that went from 600 intranets to a single intranet, and received a 90 percent staff satisfaction rating as a result.
A single website architecture is more cost effective and easier to manage. A lot of money is spent on creating new designs and re-doing old ones. This money could be better invested in creating quality content, and in ensuring that the website is well maintained. A website with a single architecture is easier to measure, and this is an important point. Many websites have primitive and unreliable metrics, and this makes management all the more difficult.
There are times when you will need to create distinctively different websites. If your organization does radically different things, then there is less benefit in having a consistent design and architecture. However, most organizations would benefit from a single website approach.
Gerry McGovern
You are welcome to republish this article once you place the following text and link at the end of the article:
Gerry McGovern provides website content management solutions
Related links
Content management solutions
Intranets
See full New Thinking classification
Next issue: Simplicity is hard
work
Previous issue: Have you
got too many websites?
Subscribe or unsubscribe
"The input we received from Gerry McGovern's Scorecard was a critical component to assessing our customer positioning and defining our work priorities for the next 18 months.”
Maurice Coleman, Head of Commercial Strategy, Aer Lingus
More client feedback
Information on upcoming content management seminars and workshops
New Thinking Newsletter
Subscribe to this free weekly newsletter covering the role and function of content on the Web.
More info | Privacy policy
A single website architecture is more cost effective and easier to manage.
Selected clients
Find out more about Gerry McGovern's clients
Home - About - Solutions - Clients - Contact - Search
Tel: +353 87 238 6136
Email: info@gerrymcgovern.com
Privacy Policy
Copyright © Gerry McGovern. All rights reserved.