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When I was in New York recently, I went to the John D. Rockafeller center, and saw an amazing statement.

clipped from archive.rockefeller.edu

I Believe

I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.

I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master.

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs.

I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order.

I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character — not wealth or power or position — is of supreme worth.

I will have to think about it for a while, but it certainly had an impact on me.

As a recent article in info wold suggests, it is getting tough to manage the amount of information that comes at us every day in the information age. Among that information that is bombarding us, are solutions that can help us to manage the title wave of data.

My favorite website that specifically deals with these issues, is called Life Hacker. It is a compendium of useful Macguyver tips for everyday life, and enough hints to improve your computer skills to rival Tom Cruise in minority report.

Or this guy

What would business websites look like if they were created with the businesses customers in mind? I have seen plenty that were essentially online brochures, digital versions of a brochure a business might have in a rusty old stand in a musty foyer (just kidding, foyers and brochures have their place, they are simply tools, I should not pick on them without their ability for rebuttal).

A website is also a tool. Like the power for world domination, it can be used for good or evil.

Website Evil: When a local small business invests in a website, then does nothing with it for two or three years. Their digital sign cordially invites me to attend “future” events that have already happened Several “comming soon” sections, from years ago.

Website Good: Current events sections with actual current events. Photos of actual people who still work there. Just like a dog and its owner, the website reminds you of the company it represents.

So how do you go about making a website that fits the company it is being made for? Glad you asked, here is what I think (feel free to add your own in the comments section)

• Determine what the company wants from a presence on the web
• Work with people in the company who will update content on the site
• Continuing education for each client about how to continually improve and use the website to achieve their goals
• Set realistic time sensitive goals for what the website can and cant do, and how much work the client company is willing to put into it every day, week, and month.

What this looks like to me is a partnership. Websites are no longer one time activities, sunk costs to incur once and forget about. Websites can be viral marketing tools, a customer relationship management solution, customer service contact point, and simply another face to interact and engage with customers who chose to use the internet.