When Grainger began building out its e-commerce platform in the mid-1990s, the distributor of MRO products was seen as a trailblazer. Few companies had access to the Internet, and even fewer had Web sites. And more often than not those Web sites were little more than static pages. (Read: Grainger’s E-Commerce Evolution)

Now it’s 2010 and while Grainger is still viewed as a leader, it is no longer alone in the e-commerce arena. Customers now expect companies to have Web sites. The push now is to make the Web site more than just that "This is who we are" page.

 

While that’s well and good, not every company is ready to go beyond "brochureware" just yet. I recently completed a research project that showed me there are still many basic things that are overlooked by some when building a basic company Web site. These should be corrected before moving onto more sophisticated online marketing strategies.

 

 

1. Make your contact information findable. There are still companies out there who make it difficult to find this information online. It’s hard for a customer to do business with you if they don’t know how to reach you. Contact information should include at minimum a phone number, but ideally also lists your physical location(s) as well as key customer service contacts and email addresses.

 

2. Let your customers know who you are with an effective About Us section and home page. It’s nice to show your longevity by listing that you were founded in 1967, but don’t forget to put even more emphasis on the services and products you can offer me today. One strength of Grainger.com‘s home page is its customer focus. One look and you know what types of products they offer, even if you didn’t already know who they were.

 

3. Keep your design uniform. It may be tempting to make your page seem fancier by using elaborate fonts and colors, but keeping it simple will make it easier to read, easier to navigate and more likely that your customers will want to come back. Choose one font, and use black on white as your primary color scheme. It’s the easiest to read, and what people are used to.

 

Grainger’s Vice President for U.S. E-Commerce Sam Kim told me in a recent interview that Grainger’s e-commerce moves were the result of listening to customer demands. (Read Grainger’s E-Commerce Evolution in the March 10 issue of Modern Distribution Management.) That’s an excellent starting point for evaluating your Web-based needs.