There are four types of Web sites: inner-directed, information-oriented, transaction-driven, and relationship-oriented.
Inner-directed Web sites are created from the business’s point of view. The home page typically features the firm’s logo and accomplishments. Inner-directed Web sites lack a focus on specific products or services. They typically fail to encourage urgency or visitor involvement. These sites typically feature photographs of buildings, lists of accomplishments, and testimonials from satisfied customers.
Information-oriented Web sites provide more information about
the firm’s products and services. These sites function like electronic
brochures in that they communicate the same types of material as found in brochures.
Information-oriented Web sites reflect more of a customer focus but fail to
communicate urgency or establish a two-way information exchange with the Web
site visitor.
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Transaction-oriented Web sites assume that every visitor is
ready to buy and, accordingly, place an emphasis upon price product features
and benefits and place a premium on urgency; price is used to encourage visitors
to order “right now!”. To date, the most successful examples of
transaction-oriented Web sites are the numerous Web sites created by airlines,
book stores, concert ticket outlets, and computer industry hardware manufacturers
and software makers. Although transaction-oriented Web sites are the fastest-growing
category of Web sites, transaction sites depend heavily on price incentives
and—accordingly—often fail to offer visitors a reason to return
until the next time customers are in the market to buy. They, likewise, make
no attempt to create long-term customer loyalty.
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Relationship-oriented Web sites that attempt to forge long-term
bonds with Web site visitors by establishing an ongoing dialog with them, fine-tuning
the relationship between buyer and seller, and rewarding previous customers
so they’ll not only buy again, but also recommend the firm to their friends.
Relationship-oriented Web sites are intended to advance customers along the
customer development cycle.