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.
Web sites, on the other hand, have been designed by the IT (Information Technology) department or an outside Web consultant. Few Web developers have ever sold construction products or worked with design professionals. There appears to be a natural tension between the web consultants and the marketing and sales departments. One wants the web site to help get the product specified and then to get orders for products, but the web designer usually wants a spiffy website with all the latest toys.
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 pagešs effectiveness include:
- The user quickly knows what products the company makes and provides easy access to all the design data.
- The total of all the images and text on the HardKnox sample is 35,000 bytes, which will load in total of 12 seconds on a standard modem connection.
- You can find the company address and know how to contact them by email and phone.
- The product information is accessed in two ways - by type of information (specs and CAD) and by product or CSI section.
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:
| Product Description - a brief description of the uses for the product | CAD Details |
| General Product Information, including basic uses, limitations, sizes and grades | Product Submittal Sheets (in a PDF format to be printed and submitted by the contractor) |
| Product Selection Guide | Code Approvals - ICBO, NER, BOCA |
| Photographs | Test Reports - UL, Omega Point, etc. | Technical Data | Case Studies |
| Product Data Sheets | MSDS Sheets |
| Finishes and color selection guide | Installation Instructions |
| FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions | Maintenance Instructions |
| Competitive Analysis | Warranty Information |
| 3-part Specification* | Product Availability |
*Note: It is recommended that the specifications be provided using the CSI 3-part format specifications using Word, Word Perfect and RTF (rich text format). It is not advisable to use style sheets within the document as most specifiers will have their own style sheet they want to use for the project.
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 2008, The Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc. Updated August 1, 2008.
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