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We start this wiki with a short overview of some of the different considerations for internal Web sites versus and external Web sites and the applications that drive them. The focus of this wiki is on using WebSphere Portal to develop external facing Web sites and therefore it is important to keep these differences in mind when reading the content that is presented throughout this wiki..
Internal | External |
| Usually aimed at members of an organisation, so it is built for only a single audience | Open to the anyone who can find the site, however certain users will be more interested in the site so these users can be favoured |
| Accessibility can be at a more basic level as there is a specific and defined user group | Accessibility is broader as anyone could be accessing the site |
| Tend to have a clear set of applications defined by the user’s role | Tend to have a narrower set of parameters defined by the stakeholders |
| Browser compatibility important but may consist of a smaller support list, that is, an organisation may force use of a particular browser | Browser compatibility more important and has a broader user base |
Potential Uses
- Collaboration
- Content delivery
- Internal news
- Alerts
- User specific content
- Access to online apps
- Sales management
- Customer relationship management
- Tech support
| Potential Uses
- Brand Building
- Product or Service delivery
- Knowledge/Information sharing
- Community building
- Entertainment
- Customer support
|
In addition to the above, search engine optimization can be of particular importance for external facing Web sites. See the section on search engine optimization on the
Search page of this wiki.
Killer applications
Something that all Web sites need to succeed is a killer application; a function or service that is so critical to the user that the system that has it is more valuable to them than any other alternative. By using the correct framework, such as Lotus Web Content Management (WCM) with WebSphere Portal, the tools are provided to the system to implement such features.
Internal sites
An Internal site has a lot more control of its audience and because the most common use of these sites are from businesses, implementing a killer application is a lot easier. For example if the organization only allows the user to book annual leave through their intranet then they ensure that the site has a stick and carrot to pull in a user. Also an organization does not need to be concerned with a competitive Web site offering the same service.
Due to the nature of internal sites outlined in the table above the emphasis of the system comes down to how easily the site can be navigated. The sites face similar challenges to an external site in terms of creating a positive user experience. However, as these sites are used by a smaller number of people for a longer time any inefficiency is amplified as they can hold up and frustrate a user multiple times.
External sites
The implementation of a killer application in an external site is more difficult, as there is a higher level of competition. Although sometimes it is not important to have, in the case of a brand building site for a product, for example, it may not be as important to pull people into the system as the product itself may be the hook for the user. On the other hand a social networking site will need a killer application, since without something to differentiate it from other sites users will simply not use it.
With an external site the emphasis is placed on how the site is perceived by the user and how positive their experience is. This encompasses aspects such as the look and feel, the usability, how the content is structured, how relevant the content is to them, how impressed they are with the functionality, how easy the site is to use, and if the site looks good on the platform on which they are viewing it.
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