What type of site do I need?
There are three basic types of web site:

• Information or Brochure sites
• Interactive Sites
• E-commerce sites

INFORMATION or BROCHURE SITES
Those sites that can only be browsed by the user. They cannot leave any information, nor can they download information. These are the simplest type of sites and by far the most common on the web currently.

INTERACTIVE SITES
The interactive web site is a site where visitors can either request information, leave comments or where they can download information, software or graphics. Other forms of interactivity such as chat rooms, blogs, and message boards are becoming very popular. This type of site is becoming more popular as the underlying technology is more widely available and less expensive.

E-COMMERCE SITES
The best known example of a E-Commerce site is amazon.com. These sites provide an online shopping experience for the user. Generally they provide a shopping cart that the user places their items into and a secure checkout where payment is accepted. If you want to sell your products online you will need a E-Commerce site.

E-Commerce: to have or not to have?
A E-Commerce website is a completely different type of site. Fortunes have been made and lost in this area (remember WebVan?) and there is a lot of hype around E-Commerce sites. However having a complementary set of products online that supplement your main business can be be an easy way to expand your existing business.

Is the site architecture flexible enough to meet future business and commercial requirements?
When planning your website don't forget future developments, new product ranges, new corporate image or a change of address. These changes and undoubtedly many others will occur during the life of your website so it is important that your site design is flexible enough to grow with your business.