When Will Websites Improve?

By Colin Gilboy, PE, CSI, CCPR

Over the past two years, design professionals have increasingly gone to the Internet to find and use manufacturers' web sites as a primary resource. Many of the Web sites are little more than electronic representations of product literature, and do not provide ready access to all the desired information.

Most design professionals complain that the product Web sites do not easily provide the design data they need to design and specify the products. When will they improve? Manufacturers have distributed information in 3-ring binders for many years. The marketing or sales department is typically responsible for the design and assembly of the binders. The binders are typically distributed by field reps, by mail and at tradeshows. These binders have evolved to be a good source for design information.

CSRF published WebFormat™ as a recommendation and example of how to design product websites that would be useful to architects, engineers and specifiers. Although a few companies have used the WebFormat ideas, many companies remain unaware of just how poor their web sites are, from a professional user's perspective.

Web designers, not usually familiar with the design and specification requirements of the construction professional, have created most product Web sites. Many Web sites are little more than electronic representations of ads or product literature and do not provide ready access to all the desired design information. Worse yet, the design information may not even be available online. The fundamental purpose of this article is to assist the manufacturer to provide more design data, less junk graphics and not waste a construction professional's time. An example of a simplified design for construction product web sites following WebFormat® guidelines may be viewed at www.csrf.org/webform.html.

The home page, or first page displayed, should load quickly and the user should promptly know what products the company makes. The HardKnox sample page shows a fictitious company's products and how a simple web page can be very effective.

Samples of an effective home page can be viewed at www.csrf.org/webform.html. Factors contributing to the home page¹s effectiveness include:

Using separate product pages for each product or product group, will enable the user to quickly know what information is available online. The objective is to provide the architect and specifier with easy and logical access to all the information they need to incorporate your products into their design or into the construction project. A sample product page can be accessed online by visiting one of the product pages at the link above. Typical information to include on a product Web site for each product is:

The final list will vary with the type of product, and items should be omitted when not appropriate. Additional information can be added as necessary. Each of these topics should link to a page with the additional information. For construction professionals, if you like this proposed web site design, give a copy of this article to manufacturers you meet with. Tell the manufacturer you want information presented in this way in a fast and easy to use web site.

About the author: Colin Gilboy, P.E., is President of 4specs.com, and a Director of CSRF. He can be reached at colin@4specs.com.

The CSRF newsletter is published for SPECTEXT® subscribers and others involved in design and construction. To obtain your copy of Creating a Common Language®, please contact the CSRF Support Center by telephone at 1-877- SPECTXT or 410-838-7561 or you may e-mail us at supportcenter@csrf.org

©  Copyright 2007, The Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc.  Updated January 12, 2007.