Web Concept

It is my opinion that the best web concepts can be summed up by a simple idea. This could be, for example:

• An Internet bank
• An online store
• Ordering cheap plane tickets online
• Classified advertisements
• Public information for American citizens
• A doctor's column on the net
• Want ads for computer programmers

Concepts like these bear their own competitive advantages, and - once such a concept is determined - it is clear what kind of content the web-site shall have.

In practice, however, we often have more complex goals than we can simply sum up with such a term. Personally, I believe you achieve the most on the web when you split up different concepts and web-sites, but I know that this idea is a bit radical for most companies and organizations right now.

As an alternative, you can make a more comprehensive concept description to suit a more complex concept. This description would state your goals and exactly how you aim to use the web as a medium to reach these goals.

This kind of concept description can also be called a media strategy for the web, which is created from (or part of) an overall communications plan. If this is how you choose to proceed, the process should look like this:

Vision, values and goals of the company

from which is derived

The communications strategy and communications plan

from which is derived

The media strategy/media plan for the web

from which is derived

Content outlines, navigation maps and information architecture.

This kind of concept description can and must take the audience and competitive advantages into account.