From Web branding to content development to deployment - who actually 'owns' the success of a Web site?

IT would suggest since they 'house' the Web site - they own it. Operations and Finance will keep close ties to the Web inferring that the site is simply a cost center to them. Sales will tell you that they have a vested interest in securing customer leads. Marketing would argue that they are the face and communication portal to customers. AND, HR would contend that the Web site is a vital recruiting tool for a new global economy. Who's right?

All of them are. It is imperative that all departments, disciplines and vested shareholders collaborate on the daily feeding and transition of the organization's Web site initiative - or else the Web site will fail.

Why? Web sites are no longer ancillary, they are mission critical - adding substantially to the organization's bottomline. Moreover, the combined needs of various departments or disciplines actually enhance the dynamic strategy behind the on-going transition of an organization's Web site by offering various views and points of entry to clients, customers, employees and shareholders.

How? Collobration does not begin by ordering various departments into a conference room for a stratgegy meeting. It begins with defining needs, strategies and business goals. In most cases than not, what the sales department requires is not much different than what the HR department may need. Each are looking to communicate the organizations value and offerings while providing easy 'call to action' scenarios for visitors and on-going interaction to the organization's Web site.

Where to begin? Start with simple site goals that require collaboration against business needs from various departments. Begin the process of determining how the needs intertwine or can be repurposed to satisfy many needs.

Example: HR is trying to hire high end sales professionals in a very tight market. Sales is trying to get a new product to market. Marketing has a tight budget but would welcome PR exposure relative to company growth.

Suggestions: Use Web video to create employee profiles for HR enticing 'like' recruits. Use the same Web video but add additional footage to introduce and email video newsletter to targeted customers and leads who may benefit from the new product. Have marketing dove-tail the email video newsletter AND Web video components to the Web site thereby increasing interaction to the site through video news releases. What will this take? Two or three days of shooting, various formatting of the Web video, simple permission-granted e-mail program and some high end content. The create it once, use many ways concept has leveraged the collaboration of various department intiatives while safeguarding a cohesive web brand strategy.