Attracting and Retaining Visitors
Do a quick search to see the number of web hosting companies offering their services on the internet. Make a simple chart of who they are, what they offer, their pricing, and how much they assist in creating and maintaining your website. What are the costs? How would you evolve a strategy that makes sense for you as you consider an online business strategy or a combination of in-store and online purchase capabilities?
Types of attractors
The archive
Archive sites provide their visitors with opportunities to discover the historical aspects of the company's activities. Their appeal lies in the instant and universal access to interesting information and the visitor's ability to 41 This book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License explore the past, much like museums or maybe even more like the more recently created exploratoria (entertainment with educational elements). The credibility of a well-established image is usually the foundation of a successful archive, and building and reinforcing this corporate image is the main marketing role of the archive.
The strength of these attractors is that they are difficult to imitate, and often impossible to replicate. They draw on an already established highly credible feature of the company, and they bring an educational potential, thus reinforcing public relations aspects of serving the community with valuable information. The major weakness is that they often lack interactivity and are static and less likely to attract repeat visits. The potential competitive advantage gained through these attractors is the building and maintenance of the image of a trusted, reputable, and well-established corporation.
Examples in this category include:
- Ford's historical library of rare photos and a comprehensive story of the Ford Motor Company;
- Boeing's appeal to aircraft enthusiasts by giving visitors a chance to find out more about its aircraft through pictures, short articles on new features, and technical explanations;
- Hewlett-Packard's site where everyone can check out the Palo Alto garage in which Bill Hewlett and Dave Packa rd started the firm.