Creating you own website might seem like an impossible task but, Brad King posted an article on inc.com that makes it seem like a possibility.
- Good content. All sites must have information that is relevant to its audience, and presented well. Make sure site is easy to read, has current and accurate information that is easy to find.
- Simple Navigation. Don't use complicated formats, and use a search that works for your product or company.
- Easily Learned Interface. Simplify your graphics message because people want information that's easy to find and read.
- Decentralized Control. Make sure your Content Management System--the publishing system for your site--enables people in the company to update, fix, and change the website without going through an endless line of programmers.
Here are four rules if you want to go with an interactive site:
- No Free Riding. A big problem with interactivr sites is people give but never take back. You need to consider protocols that keep people from taxing the resources your community, especially if they aern't contributing.
- Rules Compliance. All sites need to have a sanction that is community-based. It shouldn't be centralized because then you allow one person too much control.
- Reward Commitment. For those that contribute often, there needs to be some reward, such as gaining greater authority as a moderator.
- User-Built Growth. To attain maximum reach, allow users to add new members as easily as possible. That may mean open enrollment or a streamlined "membership-approval" process.
King also recommends reading Dave Weinberger's, "Small Pieces, Loosely Joined,"; Howard Rheingold's, "Smart Mobs,"; and Lawrence Lessig's, "The Future of Ideas."
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